


girl in red

by Pulp_Reality



Series: do you listen to girl in red? [1]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Art School, Drinking, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian AU, Recreational Drug Use, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:22:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25363813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pulp_Reality/pseuds/Pulp_Reality
Summary: “Do you listen to girl in red?” Crystal blurted out without thinking, saying something that had nothing to do with the current conversation they held, her mind going blank the instant Gigi just stood there, visibly confused and silent, staring at her like she was a mental case.College lesbians Crygi develop a crush as they notice each other at the start of their Junior Year, but struggle at first to interact with each other as the groups they belonged to had slightly different dinamics and are struggling with issues of their own.
Relationships: Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, Jackie Cox/Jan Sport, Nicky Doll/Jaida Essence Hall
Series: do you listen to girl in red? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914784
Comments: 35
Kudos: 103





	1. summer depression

**Author's Note:**

> hello! I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t be explaining this but for those who don’t understand the reference: marie (girl in red) is a queer artist that wlw usually listen to, and a subtle way to ask a woman their sexuality is if they listen to girl in red.  
> in other cases, people ask if they listen to sweater weather by the neighborhood (for the bisexuals) or everybody talks by neon trees (for the pansexuals) 
> 
> just wanted to clear that out, thank you for reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It is! It very much is!” Crystal replied with a cheeky smile, apologizing mindlessly to the girl she almost hit with her suitcase when she got distracted laughing. She heard the venomous whispering directed at her but ignored it; she was in a state of bliss once more for the first time in the last month or so and no one could disturb her peace… for now. 
> 
> Gigi turned to the person who almost knocked her over, whispering all kinds of insults, only to find the girl just walked away without a care. Something felt weird inside her as she watched the auburn colored curls bounce away accompanied by four other people. Huh. She had never noticed that girl before. And it's not like a person dressed like that could simply blend into the usual crowd

“Finally you’re here!” Was the first thing Crystal heard once she turned off her car. Her deep thought process was interrupted by the group of silhouettes that approached her vehicle, her vision focused back to notice it were her friends on campus; Jackie, Jan, Jaida and Rock (who didn’t went to the same college as them, but spent a suspicious amount of time around there) 

“Hey guys! Did I keep you waiting too long?” Crystal said sounding apologetic, getting out of the car, taking off her sunglasses and crossing over to their side. The atmosphere around the parking lot was the same that the girls were enduring; families dropping off their freshmen children, other college kids, like Crystal, coming back from their hometowns and a majority of the Greek Life clans promoting their houses, along with the extracurricular clubs that offered their services and benefits. 

Crystal doesn’t wish upon anyone going through the theatrics that imply being a freshman in college. The first few weeks were… terrifying, to say the least. She had her life already set up back in Missouri, when unexpectedly the acceptance later arrived, accompanied with a scholarship offer in Los Angeles, far, far away from home. Deep inside, she was thankful to receive a breather from the toxic environment that would sometimes consume her home, but she was thankful that wasn't the everyday day routine in the Methyd household. 

Leaving her small town, her family and tight knit group of friends behind was hard, but getting used to a new way of life was even harder. She was seriously considering dropping everything and going back to Missouri, until she walked into one of her electives, craft design, for the first time and sat down next to who seemed nicer among the strange faces. Mid class, her desk mate glanced and gawked over her clay self portrait. That’s when she met Jackie, who introduced her to Jan, who introduced her to Jaida, who introduced her to Rock. She could never complain about them; they were in for the fun times and the bad ones too; they made the whole college less miserable. 

“We're fine, girl. What took you so long? Was it the traffic? Chile, I told you to come earlier this week to avoid it!” Jaida exclaimed, pulling her over for a ‘welcome back’ hug. Jaida was a bit of a mom sometimes, if the mom was constantly drunk. She was too blunt for the commoner's taste but still, under all that honesty, remained caring. 

“Jaida, she could have come 10 years early and still would be late due to traffic,” Rock replied, pulling away the bear hug Crystal was receiving from her, making the rest of the group laugh. “How was your trip?” She asked casually as Jackie proceeded to give her greetings, hugging Crystal tight and giving her two kisses, one on each cheek, like the soft auntie she was. 

“Expensive. Plane tickets from Springfield to here are so expensive nowadays” Crystal huffed, breaking away from the hug Jan was giving her to take her suitcases out of the trunk “Jesus… I sound old” She stopped in her tracks by the sudden realization, her hand resting on the open trunk, the group laughing once more. She continued the task of taking out her large suitcase and handbags, Jaida offered her help and swung the glittery silver duffle bag over her shoulder.

Jan helped Crystal with her backpack, placing the electric blue item full of embroidery and pins over her shoulders “I would say you are, but Jackie is the oldest 20 year old I’ve ever met” Jan smiled and winked at her girlfriend playfully, while the previously mentioned clutched a pair of invisible pearls and gasped loudly with indignation as they started walking through the parking lot, heading towards the dorms. 

Crystal considered Jan and Jackie one of the best couples to ever grace earth, at least to her standards. They sometimes fought over the dumbest shit ever, but they fixed their issues in no time, they never let anyone come in between their relationship and also weren’t incredibly cheesy most of the time, making the experience of hanging out with them from very to incredibly comfortable. Crystal realized during the summer she longed for something like that, that and that she was extremely lonely, something her friends had been trying to fix for years on end. 

“Literally Ms. Sakura over here speaks literally like an old lady on a daily basis! Why me?” Jackie turned to the group, who's members smiled widely as the laughter died down for the first few seconds. 

“Because you behave older than me, old lady” Rock replied with the unique old lady voice that resembled Pennywise The Clown more than anything else, but she gladly nicknamed it ‘Gladys’. Crystal appreciated Rock's appearances around campus, even though no one ever knew the root cause of them; the woman was hilarious, no matter what your situation was, she would either make you laugh or would cry with you in solidarity, though the first option was most likely. 

“That’s not— Guys!” Jackie turned to her friends who started laughing loudly, calling the attention of the people they were crossing on their walk “Stop laughing! It’s not true!” She scolded her friends, unable to contain her own laugh. 

“It is! It very much is!” Crystal replied with a cheeky smile, apologizing mindlessly to the girl she almost hit with her suitcase when she got distracted laughing. She heard the whispering directed at her but ignored them quickly; she was in a state of bliss once more for the first time in the last month or so and no one could disturb her peace… for now. 

Gigi turned to the person who almost knocked her off her heels, whispering all kinds of insults, only to find the girl just walked away without a care. Something felt weird inside her as she watched the auburn colored curls bounce away accompanied by four other people. Huh. She had never noticed that girl before. And it's not like a person dressed like that could simply blend into the usual crowd 

“Genevieve Goode?! You there?!” Nicky Doll snapped her out of her thoughts in less than an instant with her strong accent and claps after each word. They had been walking for a while now, chatting about their eventful summers

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry” She smiled nervously. Once again, she had drifted away in her thoughts. It had started to become frequent, and her best friends were starting to notice it wasn’t healthy. 

“Real talk girl, you okay? You seem to leave us a lot lately” Dahlia pulled her aside from the stream of people walking down the entrance halls. Both her and Nicky looked obviously concerned. 

Gigi Goode, widely known around campus, didn’t fear anything. She never felt weird about moving away from home, her determination and ambition driving her to do the impossible. But everything changed that summer. Her anxiety levels had increased after a visit to her childhood home for a family reunion that could have ended better. People apologized but the words would probably never leave her. 

“I could be better. But it’s nothing to be concerned about! It’s probably the start of a new semester, that’s all!” Gigi dismissed their concerns, giving them a bright smile with the response. Anyone could look at the trio and give them one glance to categorize them as 'shallow' and 'bitchy', when in reality, they were nothing like that. Or at least with each other, and Gigi was thankful for that. The other people that surrounded her were not very much of her liking, and sometimes she found herself wondering how would it be to belong to another group of people, but those thoughts usually disappeared as soon as they appeared.

With Nicky back in France and Dahlia in New York, the Los Angeles native, who usually kept herself busy, stayed behind, she tried to keep herself busy, even finding a summer internship, but there was still a lot of time to kill. But with the loneliness came constant questioning of her existence, with late night identity crises that were anything but pleasant. She felt like shit for most part, walking around the apartment in baggy clothes trying to bear the intense Californian heat along with the feeling she had no purpose in life. She could only hope that with the return to classes, all her demons took a vacation. 

Her friends shared a look and nodded towards her “We’re giving you the benefit of the doubt here, girl” Nicky spoke first but for the both of them. "But we won't hesitate to organize an intervention if we don't see any improvements" Sometimes they surprised Gigi on how attentive and observant they were; it was rare, but they would often hit the jackpot with their guesses

“But if something is wrong, don’t hesitate in telling us” Dahlia said, what was supposed to be a comforting sentence sounding more like a threat that meant no harm. 

“Okay, okay! I won’t keep anything from you guys, I promise” Gigi raised her right hand solemnly, the two girls laughing softly and accepting the promise that had a slim chance of being false. And just like nothing happened, they strutted their way towards the entrance to meet with their sorority and welcome possible new members. If Gigi was honest, she rather be resting but she reminded herself she had been doing that for the past three months and it didn't end well.

It was around 12 AM when she came back from grabbing a bite with the girls, ignoring the fact they almost go thrown out of the restaurant for being to loud, the evening went along smoothly. She finished organizing her belongings back where they had to be, leaving to organize the supplies and backpack on Sunday, being used to leaving most things to the very last minute if they weren't as important. 

Crystal looked around the dorm, scratching her head, thankful she didn’t have a roommate at the moment since her last one, Katya, graduated. She was just as artsy and cooky as Crystal was, just a little bit more mysterious to others; but maybe people only said so because of her slight Russian accent and cold stare, or Crystal had just been lucky enough to experience one of her over sharing homemade therapy sessions that would happen very often, most of them happening under the influence of questionable substances, and overhearing the odd conversations she would have with her friends and girlfriend over the phone. Even though they had completely different majors, they were each other's biggest fans, always supporting and cheering the other. Deep in thought, Crystal realized how much she was going to miss having her around constantly. 

After changing into her pajamas, Crystal carefully unwrapped the protecting paper from the vinyls she got back home, where a small shop sold them for a reasonable price and it was better than buying them on Urban Outfitters as she was a firm believer of supporting local businesses. She caressed along the lines of the rare One Direction ‘Made in the A.M’ vinyl, setting the disk down carefully on the turntable and placing the needle. 

The intro of ‘What a Feeling’ started playing softly while she settled around the apartment, taking off the contact lenses she wore for the day and switching them for her usual thin wire round glasses before leaving the bathroom after setting everything down and doing her routine. Feeling rather thankful for the cold breeze the shitty fan provided, she picked her up unmanaged curls the best she could before sneaking under the duvet, not before turning off the lights and closing the thick curtains to the window in front of the desk next to her bed. 

“But you’ve got stars in your eyes, and I’ve got something missing tonight” Crystal hummed along quietly, looking up at the ceiling, recalling the day Katya helped her glue those glow in the dark galaxy stickers, even aiding in the painting of other messages with a paint with a similar effect. 

The summer had been devastatingly sad when it shouldn’t have been, the arguments she got into with her family were a bit devastating to her psychological health and right then and there, under the dim glow of the fake stars and the soft music playing from her turntable, Crystal Methyd felt alone and uncertain of the upcoming school year. And down that same street, Gigi Goode felt the same exact way, too.


	2. girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gigi thought after the last chaotic hour was only the start of a shitty day, until she recognized the auburn mop of curls from yesterday afternoon under a yellow hat she didn’t know how to feel about. Most people didn’t bat an eye at the sight of almost naked women; it was common for college students to leave to the beach regularly, they weren’t an exception. 
> 
> She perked up and observed curiously the girl walking towards a rather old vehicle with some friends, helping them out with placing their things in the trunk. She visibly cringed on the sight of the pink attempt of a purse she had in hand, but somehow she felt drawn towards the stranger with the unique sense of fashion. And as soon as Gigi had noticed her, as soon she vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! so since i’m on summer vacation practically, uploads will be weekly. as soon as i publish a chapter, the next one is already being written. that’s all i guess. happy reading!

_The summer had been devastatingly sad when it shouldn’t have been, the arguments she got into with her family were a bit devastating to her psychological health and right then and there, under the dim glow of the fake stars and the soft music playing from her Crossly, Crystal Methyd felt alone. And down that same street, Gigi Goode felt the same exact way, too._

The phone vibrating loudly on the desk wasn’t the ideal way Crystal wanted to wake up on a Friday morning after a long exhausting flight the previous day. Her snores stopped abruptly by the noise, her hands leaving their grip from the soft Jack Skellington pillowpet Heidi, one of her friends back at home, got her for Christmas, because The Nightmare before Christmas was one of Crystal’s favorite movies of all time, ever since she was a little kid. “Oh are you kidding me?!” She whined to herself, looking at the time on the corner of the screen, the ‘10:15’ shining brightly. 

“Um hello?” Crystal whispered, not even daring to make an effort to hide her exhaustion. She wasn’t much of a morning person when it came to dragging her ass out of bed, but she kept herself determined in getting ready and arriving to places on time… if she was really wishing to be productive that day. 

“Good morning sunshine!” Jan spoke on the end of the other line, her enthusiasm and cattiness present as ever. Crystal admired Jan’s positivism, it’s not like she wasn’t positive on her own but Jan was just thrilled by the thought of existing. “We’re going to the beach for our last weekend of summer vacation! Woohoo!!” 

Crystal sat up, her bed creaking over the sudden movement, the One Direction throw blanket she slept with over her thin duvet flying off and landing on the floor. “Huh? I didn’t know any of you guys had an apartment or beach house” She yawned loudly, excusing herself quietly while she got up, turning off the turntable she left on playing while she slept, the static that was filling the room disappeared. She considered falling asleep to the band as a one of a kind experience. 

“Neither did I! Rock finally won the family lottery on who takes the apartment down in Santa Monica, since her cousins and brothers are always hoarding it” Crystal paced around the dorm as Jan spoke, explaining the rare situation “Quite confusing, I know, but It doesn’t matter! We’re going to the beach! Aren’t you excited?!” 

As part of her daily routine, Crystal pressed a kiss on her fingers to pass it on to Harry Styles’s, the only man she truly loved, glorious face on the solo tour poster she acquired, repeating the same action on a printed Clairo photograph she took herself with an instant camera at a concert of hers. Even if it was alone, Crystal would usually take advantage of her current location and enjoy most of the concerts, art galleries and other art displays the area could offer because she didn’t have that luxury of broad art culture back in Springfield “As a matter of fact, Janice, I am. Um, I could use some sun and the inevitable sense of confusion that comes with drinking… and hanging out with Jaida” 

Jan laughed loudly “Okie! We’ll be in your room at 11:00. You’re driving!... Or at least providing the car, you know how it is' ' And before Crystal could object and complain about always being the group’s chauffeur without any payback of any kind, Jan hung up. 

Crystal decided to start the day with the right foot forward, opening her the curtains, the sun almost blinding her, but the comfort of knowing it was sunny outside made her even more positive. It was the perfect weather for a weekend at the beach. She stood there for a moment, observing the people that passed by. It was almost the same atmosphere as yesterday; new kids getting dropped off, people coming back to campus and clubs promoting themselves along with the greek life. She yawned and stretched, moving away from the window. Her phone vibrated on her hand, and she texted Jackie back, thanking her for the travel checklist. She texted her mother to ask how they were at home, to then hop in the shower. 

The shower was one of those weird places Crystal liked to spend time in. She could just blast some music, shower with water hotter than Satan's anus if she got up early enough and think. And one of her favorite things about this particular college is that they had individual bathrooms for the regular dorms. They were the size of a box and there was little space between the sink, the toilet and the shower, but she appreciated the effort of them giving privacy to their students. There was still a water limit due to the tight budget and ecological concerns, which she didn’t mind, it was for the better. Whenever she needed long showers to relax and think, she set the water to its hottest setting and once the faucet reached its limit, she would just take in the steam. But today she just decided to have a 5-7 minute shower so she could have time to pack. 

“CAUSE YOU AND I!” She sang along Zayn Malik’s angelic voice on her phone, her literal screams could be considered criminal compared to the high note the singer mastered. She was singing along whatever came up her playlist as she washed her face in the sink after she was done showering. 

“Crystal, what the fuck is going on in there?! Are you murdering a cat? Don’t make me call PETA on you!” Jaida said after knocking on the door two times, making Crystal yelp and close the water. She secured the towel around her body before opening the door, the sight of the essence of beauty delighting her almost blind eyes. Jaida, as a fashion and industrial design student, was very stylish, her beach attire wasn’t an exception. What Crystal admired most is how she could style literally anything and it would look expensive; that was the power Jaida withheld, along with unclockable makeup skills. Crystal also appreciated the kind of friend she was; always attentive and willing to help. They also had tons of fun together.

“No! I was singing!” She complained at the insult, puckering up her lips while actively failing to hide the smile that threatened to display. “What are you doing here? It’s barely 10:20” 

“Singing? You should be in jail for that attempt at singing. Federal prison, honey. I would escort you there myself” Jaida responded jokingly, removing the pair of sunglasses from the bridge of her nose and placing them on her head “It’s 10:30 for you, love. I know Jan and Jackie are eating each other out viciously and Rock is going to meet us there, so you’re stuck with me” 

“Jesus, Jaida. And I thought you couldn’t get more honest” Crystal chuckled after the rather explicit possibility of the current actions their friends were into and how horrifying her singing was. “Now let me finish my skincare routine!” She said, shutting the door in her face. 

“I’m glad you kept up with that. Your skin is glowing!” Jaida sounded muffled through the door. She was the one who suggested Crystal should have a skincare routine the one time she complained about dark circles, and guided her through the amazing world of skin care. And Crystal couldn’t be thankful enough, once her teenage skin was left behind, aided by the range of products she started using, she felt a bit more comfortable and confident. 

Crystal walked out of the bathroom already changed, trying to not rub her eyes at the small stinging the contacts produced. For her day to day college life, she would use her glasses, but for going to places, like the beach, required the use of contacts for more comfort. “You look great sis… I like your dad attire” Jaida nodded, looking at the outfit carefully; black denim oversized bermuda shorts, a black triangle bikini top that covered and supported just enough, the opened orange tie dye short sleeve button up shirt and to top it all off, a yellow bucket hat with matching crocs that if it wasn’t Crystal wearing them, Jaida would give them a signature look of pure disapproval and judgment. 

“So do you! You look like an off duty princess” Crystal exclaimed happily as Jaida spun around in the white lace maxi dress that served more as a cover up for when in the beach or pool wearing bathing suits but at the end of the day, she did have one underneath. “Now help me pack!” Jaida protested at the offer with a deep eye roll and a groan “You barged in here earlier, you suffer the consequences, c’mon Miss Hall!” Crystal clapped like a coach to one of his students, before taking out the glittery duffle bag that found itself full a couple hours ago. 

And after all that, the only thing Jaida did was read the checklist out loud while Crystal fetched and organized inside the bag what was being mentioned to her. They didn’t last long packing Crystal’s stuff, it was only 2 nights over there, thus why she only brought her duffle bag… and the giant Crocs purse. 

“You’re kidding me” Jan said from the door, watching Crystal use the giant shoe as her purse of choice “Not this” The blonde pointed at what a good quantity of people considered to be a hideous bag. Her and Jackie stood almost outside, their own bags in hand as they just arrived, there was no need for them to settle inside since the clock had already hit 11 am, which meant they should head over to hit the road. Jan was wearing a straw hat and purple bathing suit, covered by a tan colored sheer beach robe. Jackie was wearing a red beachy jumper with gold accents, her hair pushed back by a red headband. 

“Aw c’mon Jannifer, leave my giant Croc alone!” Crystal held the purse like it was a baby, her friend still not convinced by the accessory after all those years knowing her and, extravagant sense of style. She liked playing around with her friend's name, since no one knew the full one, except for Jackie, who swore to not tell anyone. But everyone insisted it was just Jannifer and she was making a big deal out of it 

“You have to admit, babe, we wouldn’t be the same without that purse” Jackie squeezed Jan’s hand softly as they all laughed, remembering the infamous Croc incident. 

A few days before Winter break started, the Sophomores went out to grab a bite near campus. Crystal’s car was getting maintenance, so they didn’t mind walking to the diner. Time flew right past them and by the time they headed back to campus, it was late. The four felt observed, and on good measure; a creepy guy was following them. They tried to stay positive and thought he was just another pedestrian and nothing would happen, until he sped up to their level and grabbed Jaida by her wrist. The girls panicked and Crystal acted out on impulse and hit the man with the somehow heavy rubber purse, the man panicked at the hard hit and fled the scene.

_‘Wait, so one of your friends almost got kidnapped and your first instinct was to hit the guy with your giant Croc purse?’ Katya’s girlfriend found herself in their dorm room the next day, accompanying her lover. As Crystal nodded, the older woman let out one of the most loud and contagious laughs Crystal had ever heard in her entire life._

“I owe my life to that purse chile, you better not cuss it in front of me” Jaida warned Jan, pointing at her threateningly with a sharp finger, but a toothy smile remained on her face. 

“You’re right, you’re right” Jan admitted her defeat, raising her hands to express so. “What are we waiting for? We’re going on a roadtrip! Let’s hit the road, ladies!” Jan said, excited as ever, as they left the apartment, the rest of the group responding with cheers. 

Crystal looked around the slightly messy room and closed the door behind her, locking it and throwing the keys inside her purse, shouting at the girls to wait for her. 

“Gigi, could you please share your seat” One of the main sorority pledges asked kindly, everyone else clearly bothered and concerned she was the only one getting to sit under a shadow in the scorching hot sun. Gigi took in a deep breath and gave a wide smile, nodding. She was tired of being there and it had only been 30 minutes. 

Gigi started her morning with the worst foot of them all; the one that wasn’t even a foot. She fell off the bed and landed on her back as the rest of the girls were making scandal about a dead cockroach on the hallway outside their rooms. Then, she had to fight someone to get in the shower in time for her shift at the stand, which was the earliest of them all, 10:30 AM, and she was sure her fellow pledge was just trying to fuck with her, after Gigi found out she had the last shift around at 4 PM and was insisting on the shower to feel “clean” after the “tragic incident”. Then she didn’t have time to have breakfast at the house when she took too long to decide on an outfit, since she forgot to prepare it the night before. And after all that, by the heat her hair had became frizzy, making the highlights she spent so much money on look cheap. So there she sat, drinking an iced hazelnut macchiato Dahlia was kind enough to bring her, with her hair picked up, wearing a white tank top with a yellow plaid skirt and a bitter expression, thankful that her venomous stare was covered by the pair of shades. 

Gigi thought after the last chaotic hour was only the start of a shitty day, until she recognized the auburn mop of curls from yesterday afternoon under a yellow hat she didn’t know how to feel about. Most people didn’t bat an eye at the sight of almost naked women; it was common for college students to leave to the beach regularly, they weren’t an exception. 

She perked up and observed curiously the girl walking towards a rather old vehicle with some friends, helping them out with placing their things in the trunk. She visibly cringed on the sight of the pink attempt of a purse she had in hand, but somehow she felt drawn towards the stranger with the unique sense of fashion. And as soon as Gigi had noticed her, as soon she vanished. 

Santa Monica wasn’t exactly far away from their area and Crystal felt time passed quicker with company by her side. They had a lot of fun on the road, what was barely an hour in the car vanished in what seemed minutes. Rock had signed them at the door of the gated apartment complex, the four girls seemed impressed as Crystal drove around the parking lot, searching for a spot. 

Jackie texted Rock as they were arriving and was waiting for them at the entrance of the main building. The residential complex looked well taken care of and even had a private pool with a bar for each building and its residents. This confused the group even more about Rock’s family. They barely knew anything about the person who seemed to overshare most details on a day to day basis and it was… strange. But that was Rock M. Sakura for you. 

“Hello!!” Rock greeted them as they approached her, each with their respective, looking beyond excited for their attendance. She pulled them into a group hug “You guys look great! Oh yay! Crystal brought the Croc!” The group laughed at one of her occurrences. “Let’s go upstairs!” 

They dropped their things off at the apartment, not without first Rock giving them a tour, starting with a ‘Hey MTV, welcome to my crib’ and doing the whole thing in a pitiful attempt of a Valley Girl accent. The place was big, so each would have their own room. Jackie gave them a small pep talk around the rules of being in an unknown environment and how to behave. Basic mom stuff coming from her. 

“Yeah, yeah. We know, grandma” Rock interrupted Jackie after a while of her talking “Let’s hit the beach! There’s expensive alcohol at the bar!” Jackie looked at her with wide eyes as the rest cheered and whooped. Private properties really didn’t care about giving minors alcohol, and much more less when they were only a year or less away from being able to finally consume it. 

They hung out at the pool area first, spending their time just talking to each other and drinking. Around 3 PM Crystal left with Rock to fetch some food, a nearby pizza joint satisfying their craving needs; it was a brick oven thin crust deliciousness the five girls wanted more of. Later they walked to the beach, getting on their own little secluded space to turn up some music to their taste without being asked to be turned off. _Girls in Bikinis_ by Poppy played on the small speaker Jan brought with her. 

“Babes! Smile!” Crystal said, the four women in front of her getting quickly into pose, Crystal snapping a few shots with her disposable camera. During her senior year of high school and the last three years of college, one of Crystal’s most valuable items she possessed were the classic Kodak disposable cameras. Sold at 8 bucks each, the sentimental value was what made them so important to her, she took the one she was currently using literally everywhere she went, never wasting an opportunity to snap a picture to capture a good memory. At the end of the year she would develop the pictures and give them out to her friends if she had more than one shot or she wasn’t in it. Somehow, her anxiety played a part in the tradition, since she felt like relying on her phone for cool memories was a bit dangerous, and if the phone was gone, most of the pictures too, no matter how much she updated her iCloud. 

“Come here bitch!” Jaida dragged Crystal off the beach chair, passing the camera to Jan who took pictures of the two doing silly poses, Rock joining them at one point. “Wait you guys look so cute there, let me” She snatched the camera off Jan’s hands and took a pic of her and Jackie all snuggled up. 

“Guys! Look what I got!” Rock said in a sing-song voice, reaching inside her bag and pulling out the bottle of expensive vodka with a ziplock with weed and paper to roll. Something Crystal will never forget from her college experience is the smell and taste of cheap vodka, but it’s not like they had any other alternatives in the past. 

Crystal could barely remember what happened after the first two shots of vodka, until the next morning, where she regained complete consciousness while laying down on a sunbed, wearing another bikini, Jan’s straw hat covering her face and her eyes being protected by one of her colorful pair of shades. “Huh?!” Crystal raised her head up, looking around, confused. The fatigue was way too much for her to sit back up in that state. Everything around her was sand, and from afar she could make out the figure of the deep blue sea. 

“You’re up already? Gosh, we thought we lost you for a second there” Jackie commented comically from the sunbed next to hers while she sipped what seemed to be a piña colada. 

“What time is it?” Was all the Crystal could make up with the dry mouth she had. Jackie noticed this and passed her a water bottle accompanied with her signature warm smile. **‘Dear me: Never accept a joint from Rock. Bring your own. Yours truly, you’** Crystal gave herself a mental note, giving the water a large gulp. 

“11 AM. We went to sleep at 5 AM because Rock wanted to ‘Chase the sunset’, whatever that means” Jackie did some air quotes at her friend’s words. Crystal looked around once more. It was just them on the beach, excluding a few passerbys. Jan laying down on a float in the pool, seemingly asleep “How do you feel? You ate something earlier when I asked you to change. I can’t believe you managed to shower while you were drunk and high. Do you need an aspirin?” 

“Two, please” Crystal sighed, relieved by the sensation the cold water brought to her throat. “What the fuck was in those joints Rock gave us? I swear to God I smoked speed” She complained, the sun still hitting hard through the thick sunglasses. She drank the two pills and took the remaining water in, setting the bottle aside for recycling purposes later. 

“I wonder that same thing, you two had some weird behavior going on. Jan was a whole other story and she only took a hit” She was like an aunt gossiping, and Crystal felt comfortable. From her mom’s side, her tías could be nominated for the juiciest gossip of the year. Poor you if they ended up talking about you. She would hear the funniest and meanest things from them, and the thought of being an observant and barely participant of that scenario was calming, even though her anxiety levels would raise up the minute she pictured them talking about her and obviously, her sexuality. Even if that feeling was just for a split second, she knew she would never feel that discomfort around Jackie. 

“Where are Rock and Jaida, by the way?” Crystal noticed, finding the missing links. She could barely make up figures, the combined intensity of the hangover, the sun and her terribly dried eyes couldn’t really make her identify anyone, but Miss Rock with the dyed pink hair and Miss Essence Hall with just her bare presence were things she could recognize from miles away. 

“Oh she’s passed out in the apartment. I tucked her into bed since she was barely conscious. But don’t worry! Her heart rate was okay” Jackie assured herself more than she did to Crystal. “Jaida grabbed your car and left to pick up someone a while ago, hope you don’t mind” 

Once she finished the bottle, Crystal didn’t find the energy to argue the unlawful borrowing of her car and limited herself to laid down again, feeling the sunrays warm her up, her olive skin tanning flawlessly as her thoughts started to drift apart, a dream creating around her. She had to admit the feeling was great. After almost two months of her parents constantly tormenting her about her sexuality and her future, she was back in California, not the greatest place on Earth but it was far away from the small town that would often consume all her energy. 

“Where’s Crystal?” She heard from afar, making her regain consciousness and realize it was Jaida who was calling her. “Crystal! Come meet some friends!” 

“So what are we wearing for the party tonight” Dahlia looked at her roommates, sitting on their beds on the Saturday early morning. Gigi was sitting down on their desk, reading a magazine, while Dahlia had just walked in from showering and Nicky was deep into a conversation with someone through text. 

One of the few things Gigi was more than glad surrounding the whole Greek life experience was that the sorority house had enough rooms for them not to have to share with a lot of people. Most rooms took from three to five people, which was convenient as the members of the house were divided into their own little grouplings. Nicky and Dahlia were probably one of the calmest people she ever met, at least in the mornings. Their room was their safe space, where they could talk freely about their issues without anyone else listening. They did had to share the showers with the room next door, and to their dismay they were five girls sleeping in that room. The only alternative to shower in peace in the mornings was get up really early and probably go back to sleep before changing and starting the day. 

“Nothing…” Nicky replied simply, still concentrated on her phone as she had been for the past half an hour they spent lazing on their room. 

Without letting her finish her statement, her two friends gasped, surprised, and started snickering at the suggestion “Miss Nicky! I didn’t know you had that in you!” Dahlia gasped between laughs, sitting down on her unmade bed, letting her black hair hang loose from a ponytail. 

“... Because we are not going” Nicky finished her sentence, the laughter dying down at the blink on an eye. Gigi turned around in the chair and looked at her resentfully, though not a big fan of parties, she always loved to make appearances and long lasting impressions, while Dahlia had her mouth wide open, as if someone offended her beyond relief. 

“What?! Nicks, this is the first party of the year where we can go fucking nuts without any soriority being blamed for whatever happens!” Dahlia jumped out of her bed to transport herself to Nicky’s, snatching the phone out of her hand. 

“Which means we’re not obligated to show up!” Nicky responded defensively, her accent thickening as she got up without missing a beat and took the phone back to her grip. ‘Fights’ like those were a common occurrence, it was like they were the March Sisters from Little Women, who loved each other no matter what but fought for the most ridiculous things, which at the moment seemed relevant. 

“This seems sketchy coming from you, Nicky. What’s up?” Gigi got up, setting the magazine down and staring at her friend with a raised brow, the expression filled with superstition. Nicky Doll wasn’t the person to accept or reject a party. She would just follow along and have fun in whatever way it came. As long as it wasn’t very dangerous. 

“I have a… um… friend, who invited me to the beach today. You guys can come with. If you really want to stay and go to the party instead I wouldn’t have an issue” Nicky explained, suddenly flustered and overwhelmed. “I’m going to leave in like half an hour” 

The girls’ expressions softened quickly, both letting out sighs. Gigi got up and sat Nicky back down in her bed. “Is there something you need to tell us, Nick?” Gigi asked sweetly, taking a seat in front of her, right next to Dahlia. 

“I’m not seeing anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking. I mean, we’ve gotten close during last semester and summer vacation but it’s nothing else!” Nicky explained, her face heating up into a deeper red. 

“Ooh what’s his name?” Dahlia gave small, excited claps, but Nicky’s silence told her something else completely different “Is it a _her?_ Oh my god” 

Another thing that made Gigi very thankful for the friends she got is how accepting they were. She was going through a hard time in freshman year, which required her to come out to the two of them if they wanted to help her, and her coming out encouraged Nicky’s. It was a topic only the three of them discussed, as they don't really trust anyone else in the sorority. While Dahlia wasn’t part of the community, she was understanding and proved from time to time to be a fierce ally to them. 

“I thought you had a preference for men” Gigi scrunched up her nose at the mention of the opposite sex, her friends doing the same and breaking down in giggles by the action, quickly composing themselves once again to continue the serious conversation. 

“I guess I do, but she’s really something else. I’ve never laughed so hard with anyone else before. She is so fun to be around and understands me completely. Oh! You guys know her. Gigi, we have most of our classes with her, it’s Jaida” 

Gigi’s eyebrows raised by the pleasant surprise. To her, Jaida was one of the most polished people on campus when it came to her craft and was a very good team player; she was paired up with her for a few times for group projects. She was a little surprised when she found out she wasn’t part of anything related to the Greek Life, as most girls in their major were. 

“I’m so happy for you Nick, she’s very nice” Gigi nodded, smiling brightly. “I think skipping one party won’t kill us, right?” She side eyed Dahlia, the biggest party girl she’s ever met, which meant she could be the most affected by their decision. 

“Ah fuck it. Let’s go to the beach, bitches!” Dahlia got up, dragging up the S dramatically. Nicky chuckled and turned to Gigi, giving her a bright smile as a silent ‘thank you’ for helping her out. 

Jaida arrived at the promised time, the girls getting in the car Gigi recognized from a few days ago. She observed the car, puzzled. The interior was simple and clean as it can be, the few things in there really caught the eye. Who in their right mind would have a bright pink Hello Kitty steering wheel cover?

“Is that Harry Styles?” Dahlia finally dared to ask, pointing to the air freshener on the mirror, interrupting the conversation Jaida and Nicky were in. Gigi unplugged one of her airpods, the music pausing instantly, waiting for an answer. 

“Yes ma’am. This is my friend’s car. She is OBSESSED with him and his little band but she doesn’t even like men” Jaida commented casually as she continued on driving, whatever music that was playing on the radio just there was background noise. The mention of other LGBTQ people on campus was a little off putting to Gigi; it made her feel a little lost that she could feel more comfortable somewhere else instead of being part of the, sometimes draining, greek life. Besides, men there were very toxic, it sometimes damaged her own mental health. 

Gigi observed Jaida and Nicky’s interactions very carefully, wanting to fish out something suspicious, only to find out she was in the wrong for being so judgmental and that she needed to find herself something like that. But, she had to admit, it was hard to find something even barely alike when she was deep inside the closet for everyone in campus, except for her two best friends and maybe anyone smart enough to suspect something, but other than that, if she wanted a relationship, she had to scout for it; something unlike her, considering the amount of people that insisted they were worthy of her love, but to her dismay they were exclusively men. A happy, healthy relationship wasn’t going to fall in her lap. But sometimes she wished it did. Everything would be easier if interactions could be more than just looking at each other and suffer in silence about the immaculate beauty women portrayed. 

The frown on Gigi’s face vanished when Dahlia snapped her out of the trance. The car had come to a stop a few seconds ago “C’mon sis! We’re here!” 

Gigi hopped out of the car, putting on her sunglasses and fixing her beach hat according to the sudden amount of sun hitting her in the face. She followed close behind Nicky and Jaida, walking on par with Dahlia, who commented on the beautiful surroundings. 

“Girls, come on over!” Jaida called a couple who were sitting by the pool. Gigi could barely recognize them, but she’s sure she’s seen them around. The two walked happily towards them, bright, welcoming smiles on their faces that made Gigi feel a little bit safer around unknown surroundings. The first thing she noticed about their fashion was the different time periods, the girl wearing lilac was more modern, while the one wearing earthy tones was more on the vintage side 

“This is Nicky Doll, a friend of mine, and her two friends, Gigi Goode and Dahlia Sin” Jaida pointed to each at the mention of their names. Nicky smiled brightly, Gigi waved shyly and Dahlia gave them a simple look. ‘Jeez. No wonder why people are scared of her’ Gigi thought, looking at Dahlia, who shrugged at her in response. It wasn’t unusual for them to communicate without actually speaking. 

“Hi! I’m Jan!” The shorter blonde girl introduced herself enthusiastically, who didn’t seem to mind the lack of attention Dahlia gave the two of them. “And this is my girlfriend Jackie,” She pointed to the dark haired woman next to her, who smiled at them and waved happily, Gigi was taken aback once more. “So nice to meet you guys!” Jackie smiled politely 

“Where’s Crystal?” Jaida looked around, the woman named Jackie pointing towards the beach, where a few bags and beach towels rested. “Crystal! Come meet some friends!” 

Jan started interacting with the three, asking them the regular ice breakers with borderline enthusiasm and actually showing interest in them. Gigi learned Jan was a musical theater major, while Jackie was a literary arts major with a minor in publishing and media management. 

After being called, Crystal got up slowly and stretched, leaving Jan’s hat aside. Crystal realized she was in trouble once her eyes came back to focus as she walked closer to the group and thought she was going to pass out. The girl in the light blue bikini talking to Jan could be blamed for Crystal’s second gay awakening happening right that instant. Her slim, long legs seemed to go on forever as she stood there, listening attentively. It was like they just removed a model off a runway and brought her there. She restrained herself from staring too much, dialing down her hormones to be respectful, not wanting to make the beautiful girl uncomfortable. 

“Had a good nap, Ms. Methyd?” Jackie teased the girl who approached them. Gigi’s mouth went instantly dry as she turned around to face her. 

Gigi knew she was in trouble the moment Crystal looked in her direction as she approached them, and Gigi’s legs almost forgot how to function. She could recognize those curls anywhere, they’ve caught her attention a few times before in the span of almost two days. Of all the people she could have ended up meeting at a beach, she was there. Trying to be careful, she observed the person in front of her. She admired the way her skin glistened under the sun, noticing three tattoos, one by her rib cage, one on her arm, the other close to her collarbone and how the colorblock red and pink bathing suit was a definite _choice_ with the purple sunglasses, and those yellow crocs had no business being remotely close to that outfit, but somehow she made it work _oh so good_ with her slightly toned body. 

“Shut up” Crystal replied, smiling playfully back to her friend, Gigi was a little taken aback by her smile, one of the brightest, if not the brightest she’s ever seen and her voice; it sounded joyous, like the talking chirp of a bird in cartoons like My Little Pony or maybe it was more like Kermit the Frog had smoked a lot of pot. “Hi, I’m Crystal Methyd” Her wave was a little lazy and her eyes looked a little droopy behind the transparent purple frames. “It’s nice to meet you all” She spoke, looking directly at the beautiful stranger. 

The new people said their greetings and Crystal thought they were neat, but she thought that of everyone else she just met; she wasn’t the type of judge much by appearances. Everyone fell into the neat category until someone else or even themselves proved her otherwise. But the girl with the blue bikini, Gigi Goode as she introduced herself, didn’t need to prove her anything to show she was something more than just neat. Not only because she was gorgeous, but Crystal already felt drawn in by her. 

“Let’s hit the water, ladies! We already have a few sunbeds set up down there and we can fetch more if we need to!” Jan said, never dropping her excitement while walking with Jackie towards the sanded area. Nicky dragged Jaida with her, making her laugh. Dahlia followed along and somehow Gigi stayed behind by Crystal’s side. 

Gigi took note of how she smelled, surprised by that, even though it sounded a bit disrespectful; coconut shampoo, salty water, a perfume that lingered around the air with a warm, unique, pleasant smell. “Shall we?” Crystal turned to the girl next to her, half smiling, snapping out of her thought process. Gigi returned the smile shyly and nodded as Crystal guided her towards the rest of their friends. 

Crystal sat back down on the sunbed she fell asleep in, the whole initial encounter replaying in her head suddenly brought Crystal back to one particular moment of her childhood; her mom was cleaning to some music in Spanish and this song, La chica del bikini azul, really caught Crystal’s attention, even though she wasn’t really understanding what the man was actually singing about. 

_‘I’m glad you like it, mija. You see, it’s about a girl he meets on the beach. She’s wearing a blue bikini and she was so stunning, the ocean changed colors to not hoard the blue she was wearing. They instantly felt mutual attraction without even talking’ Her mom explained sweetly as she swept the house clean._

And now just like that, the song had a whole new meaning to Crystal now that she had found the girl with the blue bikini on the beach. And she too, hoped not to fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed this chapter! the song Crystal was talking about is _La Chica del Bikini Azul_ from Mexican artist Luis Miguel. one of my personal favorites of his. so underrated.  
> fun fact: i had two of the croc purses when i was little and they were in fashion (2010-13?) and i saw a pic of Crystal the other with a pink one so i had to include it!


	3. dead girl in the pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So there’s a party going on tomorrow night, down at the sorority house I’m in. Would you… like to come?” Gigi gave her a shy smile as they stood in front of the now door, looking at each other under the dim sunlight the 6 PM sky granted them. Crystal hadn’t really noticed how sultry and soft Gigi’s voice was, but in between that mix it was also very awkward. It was very cute nevertheless. 
> 
> Crystal smiled wider, not thinking much at the moment, while Gigi thought she was going to melt away “Sure. I would love to” She nodded, the smile on her lips never leaving. As they stood in front of each other, Gigi realized she was only an inch taller than Crystal, maybe add in half of it if you decided to be generous.
> 
> “I’ll see you there, then” Gigi chuckled, giving her a small nod. “Goodbye Crystal,'' She waved softly as they parted ways, ‘Clumsy ‘cause I’m falling in love’ echoing in Gigi’s ears, each smiling to themselves; usually they would go in the same direction but Crystal had other plans somewhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i was too excited for this chapter so i finished it as soon as i could, and i already had a good chunk written when i published the other one so enjoy!  
> (p.s: if you haven’t caught on, each chapter has the title of a girl in red song; ‘dead girl in the pool’ is my personal favorite song of hers)

_And now just like that, the song had a whole new meaning to Crystal now that she had found the girl with the blue bikini on the beach. And she too, hoped not to fail._

It was embarrassing the amount of time Crystal spent thinking about her new “acquaintance”. Gigi Goode was probably the most beautiful person she’s ever met, but they barely met. After their short introduction and the two words the woman had directed to her, they never spoke again, only when it was a group conversation. That didn’t mean she didn’t like Jaida’s new friend and her friends, not at all, she found them lovely and surprisingly they all got along well, but the occasion that required them to fully talk to each other hadn’t arisen yet, and probably won’t do so for a while. Or so they thought. They limited themselves to catching each other staring at common areas for the past three days, the situation becoming hilarious at one point, but neither knowing how to interact without being awkward or strange. 

Crystal’s phone vibrated in her hand while she struggled to carry all her supplies for advanced painting, she gave a little peak to the recent text. **[happy first day of class, raging homosexual! one more year and you’ll be out of that hellhole! katya xx]**

Crystal smiled, feeling a little nostalgic and just let that be, deciding to reply to that and a few others later, moving around to pass the other people in the class to get to the spot she wanted. Everyone else was in the same conditions as she was; juggling the big amount of supplies to maintain them in their hands, excited to leave them in the classroom and go on about their rest of the year without usually needing them outside of those four walls. She greeted the classmates she had interacted with and got along with for the last few years, sitting down next to her usual deskmate, Sasha, one of the most talented girls she had ever met. 

Gigi found it baffling how many times a day the girl with the messy ball of curls on her head would just show up in her thoughts. She found herself wondering what she might be doing or where she found so many cool stuff to wear on her day to day basis. She had no idea how to approach her. Before finding out she very much didn’t like them, Gigi had her handful of experience with men, but slim to none with women. It was uncharted territory; the unknown. For the first few days, during lunchtime and breaks, she would search around for the curly headed lanky girl, unable to find her anywhere. Even when she talked to Jaida, Jan and Jackie for a few minutes by their table, she wasn’t there. Was Crystal avoiding her? Did she freak her out by staring too much?

Crystal’s major had a tight schedule due to the amount of content that needed to be covered, apart from her minor degree classes and extracurriculars, so she never got time to sit down and have lunch at the usual time everyone did. Mondays, Fridays and Weekends were her escapade, her schedule had the least classes on those days, which she appreciated very much and utilized the free time wisely, hence why she spent time with a few classmates in the library, catching up on introductory projects. 

Almost a week after their first encounter and two days after the first day of class, Gigi perked up at the sound of a pair of rushed steps inside the quiet library. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Crystal, her docs hit the polished floor to make rhythmic sounds while she approached a table, responding to quiet greetings from people who recognized her on other tables. Gigi was confused; if she was so well known around campus, how didn’t she notice her before. Crystal ended up sitting at a table with two other people, the three pulling their materials to start working. 

She watched her carefully; The chirped glittery nail polish, paint splattered all over her hands and slightly crooked wired glasses placed on the bridge of her nose somehow made her even more intriguing. From there she could appreciate her strange sense of fashion even more; the two tone denim mom pant she probably hand dyed herself, the oversized t-shirt from a band she couldn’t recognize was tucked in, and the huge patchwork knitted cardigan with different tones of purple and diverse textures Gigi fell in love with almost instantly, it was a such a quirky piece and it looked comfortable. She was definitely a crafty and resourceful person. Something that couldn’t fly off the radar was the jewelry she wore; The bunch of vibrant bracelets and necklaces, her earrings and rings were probably the most neutral part of it. 

Gigi watched the girls interact, far away from them, on the large table where members of the various Greek Life houses were organizing the event of the next day. The thing about parties involving college students was that no matter who, what, why, when and where, things got out of hand, and that night wasn’t going to be an exception, more now that the members of the houses didn’t even bother in pretending they wanted to avoid trouble, everyone wanted a fun party and if they really took the time to review and follow campus policies, the party could easily be categorized as a children’s party or a book club meeting. Gigi was mesmerized watching Crystal work; the way her brows rested calm but firmly on her face while she seemingly sketched, how her curls bounced every time she had an energetic interaction with her classmates, how she tapped the end of her pencil against her lips and chewed on them when she was thinking. 

“Gigi!” Nicky whispered to her a little too loudly, calling her attention when the entire table was expecting her to speak. Crystal’s eyes raised up towards the table for a second, and upon noticing who was there, she looked again more profoundly. 

Crystal felt helpless about her minor crush on Gigi. She tried to suppress her feelings as much as she could because A. Miss Goode was way out of her league and B. She might be… not gay. But she couldn’t help but observe and appreciate her mannerisms across the room; the way she swept the shortest part of her hair off her field of vision, the face she made whenever someone said something stupid or simply agree, how she could pretend a smile and still make it seem like the most perfect piece of art, chiseld by Da Vinci himself. She also made Crystal realize how everyone in her and Jaida’s major dressed up in almost the same style, but Gigi took it to the next level, looking polished and lavish, like a limited edition expensive Barbie, straight out of the box with all her perfect little accessories. 

Gigi’s face flushed a brighter red as she swept aside the hair that fell flawlessly to the sides of her face, going back to reality, speaking about the decoration of the place, which was fairly simple since it wasn’t a themed party. “Right. Sorry about that” She cleared her throat, her slender fingers traveling along the surface of a paper in which she was taking notes from “We discussed back at the house of the ability of the materials and we agreed to reuse the ones from last year to follow the Green Act on campus. Since it’s just a simple party, I think it’s manageable” 

Everyone in the table agreed to those terms, non themed parties were not the most exciting, therefore they didn’t care a lot about how the supplies were. The meeting did not extend longer once they realized the library was coming to a close; the place closed earlier on Fridays and opened briefly on weekends. Gigi took her sacred time to pick up her things, avoiding to seem too obvious at the fact she was waiting for Crystal. 

“Hey!” Gigi skipped over to Crystal as they both approached the door. _‘Clumsy’_ by Fergie playing on her Airpods, competing with the sound of her heart as it started doing acrobatics the second Crystal’s smile came upon her. 

“Hi you!” Crystal replied cheerfully, holding the door open for her, a gesture her counterpart accepted gratefully. She mentally prayed for the beautiful lady standing next to her not to hear her heartbeat hammering against her chest. Gigi gripped tightly onto Crystal as she tripped on her own feet on the way out. “You okay?!” She asked, helping her gain back stability. 

“Yeah! Don’t worry about it!” Gigi laughed nervously, clearly embarrassed but glad to find out her theory was true; Crystal's cardigan was soft. She fixed herself a little, finding the music playing to herself was a tad ironic “So there’s a party going on tomorrow night, down at the sorority house I’m in. Would you… like to come?” Gigi gave her a shy smile as they stood in front of the now door, looking at each other under the dim sunlight the 6 PM sky granted them. Crystal hadn’t really noticed how sultry and soft Gigi’s voice was, but in between that mix it was also very awkward. It was very cute nevertheless. 

Crystal smiled wider, not thinking much at the moment, while Gigi thought she was going to melt away “Sure. I would love to” She nodded, the smile on her lips never leaving. As they stood in front of each other, Gigi realized she was only an inch taller than Crystal, maybe add in half of it if you decided to be generous. 

“I’ll see you there, then” Gigi chuckled, giving her a small nod. “Goodbye Crystal,'' She waved softly as they parted ways, ‘Clumsy ‘cause I’m falling in love’ echoing in Gigi’s ears, each smiling to themselves; usually they would go in the same direction but Crystal had other plans somewhere else. 

“Are we going on our usual for the first weekend?” Crystal asked, leaning in and taking a taki from the bag Jan was holding as she sat there eating on the floor, which instantly gained her a piercing side eye for that. They had the tradition to open the year going to the diner close to campus and eating their usuals. Jackie, Jan, Jaida and Crystal sat scattered around Jan’s dorm, catching up on whatever happened on their first week back. 

“Actually… Nicky invited me to a party tomorrow night. And you bet your pretty little asses you’re coming with me. I’m not showing up alone” Jaida pointed threateningly at her friends. Her and Nicky were still not a thing, but they slowly started to introduce each other into their lives and routines as there were more possibilities they could end up being a thing. 

“Now that you mention it… Gigi Goode approached me a few minutes ago at the library and invited me too” Crystal commented casually, trying to reach inside the takis bag once again, her hand being slapped away by Jan. 

“Oooh lil’ Crissy has a crush!” Jackie went in and poked Crystal several times, as a way of tickling, making the girl fall back onto the lilac duvet, laughing hysterically, her laugh echoing around the room as whatever song Jan had on her playlist played softly, serving as background music. Jan and Jaida teased along with a high pitched, elongated “Oooh!” before laughing along Crystal’s contagious laughter. Because of moments like these, Crystal felt so connected to songs like _Ribs_ by Lorde; even though the song was a bit depressing, she found hope and friendliness within its verses. She did laugh with her friends until their ribs got tired and unlike the song, it was enough most of the time. 

“I think we should go, we have double the invitation! Besides, I love parties!” Jan jumped a little, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she hummed happily. “We can still go to catch a bite after. There’s nothing better than food while drunk” 

They all nodded simultaneously in agreement. “We’ll meet at Crystal’s dorm at 10 PM. It’s the closest to the sorority house” Jaida said, not asking for permission but rather just demanding for them to follow what she said. 

Crystal frowned, raising her hand to barge into the conversation politely “Wait… why is it always in my dorm room lately?” She noticed, crossing her arms while she recovered from the tickling session, cleaning away some tears. “Also, now that I think about it… A party at a sorority house? Um, that’s a bit yikes” She scrunched up her nose at the idea as she manifested her seconds thoughts out to existence. 

Going to a party in a sorority house wasn’t Crystal’s cup of tea, or as a matter of fact, ANY of her friends' cups of tea. Her favorite parties were hosted on a particular gay bar downtown called _Himeros_ , after the god of sexual desires and the fact he was mentioned in a Lady Gaga song, they would always sneak in with the help of a bartender who was friends with Rock and convincing fake IDs, wearing colorful, batshit crazy makeup with campy clothes. They found around 75% percent of their campus there, because at the end of the day, the school had a really big art school division and was known because of it. That place was Crystal’s escape, the excuse for her to play around more than necessary with makeup and express herself with it without teachers or fellow students telling her the makeup was distracting. Dressing conservative for a party where she might feel very much judged wasn’t her ideal way to start the new semester. 

“Chile, I told you because your dorm building is the closest to the sorority house! And also because you’re literally alone so we don’t have to feel sorry for always barging in” Jaida admitted from her seat by Jan’s desk. When Katya lived with her, she didn’t mind her friends just barging in, since her own did the same sometimes, but they still couldn’t avoid feeling a bit guilty interrupting her personal space. 

“I know this isn’t our usual ambiance, but the least we can do for Jaida is show her some support and accompany her.” Jackie told her softly after noticing the frown that was setting deep into her face, that softened like butter under warm sun rays after the words that knocked some sense into her. “Besides… You also got invited by Miss Gigi Goode herself. We have to go” 

Crystal sighed and nodded “You’re right. Count me in. I’m going to support the heck out of my friend” Jaida threw herself in her arms, hugging her and thanking her. “Let’s pray it goes well” 

Unlike last Saturday, Crystal most spent the day alone. Her friends had party routines: long, complex things she sometimes couldn’t even bother in understanding. Take Jaida, for example; she had a deep mosturizing process involving a variety of oils. Her routine was based on getting herself ready maybe one hour, sometimes more, earlier, listening to music and sometimes drinking whatever cheap liquor she had around, because she knew she could have a breakdown in the middle of all this because of anything and make her friends late. 

“I could swear you were freezing your ass to death in Russia, Zamo” Crystal smiled happily at the sight of the blonde entering the coffee shop. While fixing up the dorm and cleaning profusely, after her mom obliged her to do so from one thousand and seven hundred something miles away, Katya sporadically texted her asking her if she was busy. Crystal was never happier to be asked out for a coffee, as sweeping and mopping were not between the things she wanted to actually do. 

Katya went up and gave her a tight hug, smiling as they sat down “Well, here you have me. I figured I would stay and settle down here, ya know? I found this amazing place for hooking” She said casually before breaking down into a wheezy laughter, Crystal following along, people on other tables started to stare, not like they didn't mind anyways. 

“Okay! I’m kidding! I found a great place for training. Besides, I didn’t want to leave Trix.” She said, avoiding to giggle before turning the waitress ready to take her order, as Crystal ordered before. Katya was a dance major, but also an incredibly skilled gymnast, she won medals left to right and was so passionate about the hobby, she decided to make it her career, applying things she learned in college to her training as well. 

“How is she, by the way?” Crystal hummed pleasantly at the sight of her hot chocolate with whipped cream. She only drank coffee when she really needed it, and it wasn’t one of those times where she did. The temperature had dropped outside as dark cloud threatened a big storm coming, and the shop had them almost freezing under the strong air conditioner, so she thought a hot beverage was a good idea. 

“Oh you know she’s fine. She started an internship on a record label, I’m so proud of her” Katya commented with a bright attitude, reaching in and dipping her finger to grab a dollop of whipped cream on the cup in front of her, small snickers coming from her closed mouth. Crystal had met Katya’s girlfriend quite a few times and they got along fine. She admitted she was quite a talented singer and would go far in her craft. 

“Hey!” Crystal moved her cup closer to her, going in for a sip. Their funny banter resembled how sisters would behave with one another, and their relationship was overall like that; Katya was like Crystal’s older sister who sneaked her in some alcohol and gave her a fake ID accompanied with some weird advice that somehow just made sense later. 

Katya didn’t apologize because if she did, she wouldn’t really mean it “Enough about me and my grown up life, what’s up with you, Meth head?” She asked, fixing her bangs as she thanked the server for her coffee. 

“Turns out I’m going to my first sorority party later” Crystal started, cleaning her throat, Katya visibly scrunched her nose at that and didn't allow her to speak further.

She blinked a few times before starting “You’re in love, aren’t you?” The woman deducted pretty quickly, staring at her with a superstitious expression. 

Crystal almost choked on her own saliva, her eyes widening at her sudden words “Hold up! Love is a strong term, Yekaterina” She cleared her throat, reaching in to take a long sip of her beverage, wiping away with a napkin the trail of whipped cream she had on her top lip. 

“But you’re into someone, aren't you, Elizabeth?” She still kept pushing, not convinced by her answer. Crystal was limited to just nod a bit to the statement, a malicious smile creeping up on the blonde’s face “I knew it! You’re well known around the gay bar scene, Crys. I saw you leaving the dorm like you were just done eating out an unicorn. There’s no way you would go around there just because” 

Crystal narrowed her eyes at her, a little pissed she could read her like an open book. Katya would have been an incredible therapist if she wasn't so good at gymnastics “You’re never wrong, are you?” She asked suspiciously, taking a small piece from her cinnamon roll. 

Katya tried removing her hand to only fail miserably and just smiled mischievously, the red lipstick she wore made her teeth look whiter “Nope. Nada. Never ever. So that’s why I’m advising you to wear that baby pink dress. You look good on it” 

And so Crystal did. She took a couple turns, looking at herself in the tight, shiny fabric. She doesn’t even recall getting the dress, it just showed up one day on her closet and it fit her like a glove. Usually, she doesn’t think much when wearing it to a club or a similar place, but now she was feeling all the wrong emotions at the wrong time. 

“Jeez, I look like a basketball player’s baby mama” She huffed, still not convinced, deciding she will handle that issue a bit later and proceeding to finish on blow drying her hair with a diffuser, so her curls could hold more definition. She finished her simple makeup look with a nude lip but wasn't still convinced about the dress.

“Crystal, open up!” Jaida knocked the door twice, gasping when her friend opened up “Ooh girl, you look incredible!” Jaida spoke excitedly, looking at her friend with shiny eyes. 

“You think so? I hope this isn’t too much” Crystal chewed on her bottom lip anxiously. It was a dress she usually wore to a different ambiance; she didn’t know what to expect. Jaida was very much dressed up herself: a tight red dress with shiny accents, a loose sheer tulle button up shirt, red as well, serving as a cover up. 

“It isn’t! You look amazing. If someone disagrees, they’re finna catch these hands” Jaida raised her flawless manicured hands in all seriousness, before the two laughed along. “Jackie and Jan are at the entrance, c’mon” Jaida grabbed her by the hand. “Wait— Jackie said that you grab a jacket. It’s breezy” 

Crystal rummaged through the exposed rustic rack she had at a corner, grabbing a cropped fur jacket that complimented the dress very well, securing the small purse around her wrist before heading out the door, being pulled out of it by Jaida. 

Gigi had spent the whole day, starting very early, organizing the place with other people, glad the party wasn’t very elaborated, still spending a lot of time cleaning. She despised having to sweep the giant residence but her anxiety and inability to say ‘no.’ got the best of her at times like those. She pulled out her outfit for that night and took a nap, something that usually never happened, Dahlia and Nicky noticed it was getting a little late but didn’t want to wake her up from her well deserved slumber; she had worked very hard.

Gigi jolted up once she heard people were starting to arrive and the music getting turned up, the floor shaking softly to the strong bass the current song had. It was a relief to find that everyone was ready so no one would come her way as she rushed to get ready, but at the same time that made her even more anxious. She fixed her hair quickly with the flat iron, the shift between brown and blonde in her hair looking flawless as it turned wavy. She picked up a bit of hair back, letting the 70s fringe she cut impulsively after listening to ABBA way too much, have its own spotlight. She took her time to apply a red lip once her makeup was done, before fitting a tailored coat that served more as a dress, wrapping a tight leather belt around to create some shape. She fit a pair of black _Louboutin_ heels before leaving the room, trying to organize the vanity how she could before exiting. 

The party was up and alive at 9 PM already, it was surprising. It was weird seeing people she’s never seen before, everyone looked lavish and expensive according to their aesthethics. As she made her way to the kitchen, she heard fellow sisters whisper and complain about the amount of people present, which she personally didn’t mind. 

By 10 PM the place was packed, Gigi had sheltered herself outside, even though it was a little cold, with Dahlia and Nicky, and some other girls that had joined them. She felt a little hopeless since Crystal was literally nowhere near to be found. What if she didn’t want to come? What if she felt intimidated by her? What if— 

All of Gigi’s anxious thoughts melted away when her eyes landed on Crystal, who was greeting some people with her group of friends. Her eyes widened, surprised to see a side of Crystal she never even considered that existed before; the tight dress, the extravagant fur coat, the pair of heels, the clutch, even her nails matched perfectly in a monochromatic outfit. The pearl necklace around her neck was a perfect touch, it looked like a family relic. Without even noticing, Gigi and Nicky walked on par towards the group, both smiling to themselves. While the french doll wasted no time and threw herself to Jaida’s arms while Gigi, a ball of nervousness, tapped Crystal’s covered shoulder, making her turn around with a bright smile. 

“Hi” Crystal said softly, looking a little bit flustered, even under the colorful lights. She eyed Gigi up and down, snickering a little at the contrast of their outfits. While Crystal looked like the flavor bubblegum personified, Gigi looked like the hot villainess in a superhero movie, making Crystal swoon, at both her and her fashion and makeup skills. 

“Hey! I’m glad you could make it!” Gigi beamed at her, fidgeting a little with the bracelet she had in her right wrist. 

“I think it would be disrespectful to now show up when Gigi Goode herself invited you” Crystal said playfully “Want me to fetch you a drink? Where’s the kitchen?” Crystal said, sounding all polite and nice, the butterflies on Gigi’s stomach started to flutter. **‘Ugh. I’ve spent less than 3 minutes with her and I’m already all bubbly inside’**

“I’ll lead you to it” Gigi replied, trying to be as attentive as she was, failing miserably; Crystal was just naturally too nice for her own good. She secured her soft fingers around Crystal’s bare wrist, guiding her through the dancing bodies, for them to end up at a well lit kitchen that was practically empty. 

“Oop, sorry!” Rock apologized as they walked in, leaving with a fresh tray of weed brownies in hand. Both girls looked at each other, confused, before laughing and continuing their way. Crystal was used to Rock showing up around campus out of nowhere, and oh boy, the girl loved a good party. And there were a lot of people from other schools on this special occasion, so it wasn’t surprising she tagged along. 

“What do you want?” Crystal hummed, checking the variety of alcohol scattered around the surfaces of the kitchen. 

“Whatever you’d like. I’m sure you have very good taste” Gigi said, daring herself to flirt a little, a strand of hair twirling around her index finger. 

Crystal smirked and nodded, without saying anything else and prepared two vodka tonics. “Cheers, Miss Goode” She raised her cup slightly and tipped her head very lightly, never breaking eye contact. 

“Cheers, Crystal Elizabeth” Gigi winked as they both took a sip and started to leave the area. 

“Wait! How do you know my middle name?!” Crystal laughed as they looked at each other with warm smiles on their faces, happy as ever. 

Around 2 AM, the party didn’t seem even close to dying down, but both Crystal and Gigi were drunk, and in Crystal’s case, high. They laughed loudly as they stepped aside from the dance floor, stumbling with their own feet. “I’m not joking, seriously” Crystal wheezed as they stood leaning on the wall by one of the couches, where she left her coat and purse, both looking foolish as they gave each other heart eyes. 

“There’s no way that's the first thing you thought when you saw me tonight” Gigi shook her head, in denial of the story she was being told. Crystal complimented her by saying the thought when she saw her was _'The personification of the song Little Black Dress by One Direction'_ "You're too obsessed with them" 

“No, no. I'm too obsessed with _you_ ” Crystal admitted without shame, both laughing loudly. Soon, the laughter between them dying down as they stared at each other, with very small smiles on their lips. “Gigi?” Crystal leaned in to whisper in her ear, Gigi felt the hairs on her neck stand up, chills running down her spine, as Crystal placed her hand on her covered slim waist, caressing it carefully. Suddenly, the noise around them slowly died down, quite literally. But they didn’t care, it was just the two of them now. 

“Yes Crystal?” She replied, placing her hand on her bare arm, her voice shaking slightly, nervous about the distance between them, which wasn’t a lot. She would have never noticed how bright and warm Crystal’s hazel eyes were if they weren’t that close. 

“Do you listen to girl in red?” Crystal blurted out without thinking, saying something that had nothing to do with the current conversation they held, her mind going blank the instant Gigi just stood there, visibly confused and silent, staring at her like she was a mental case. 

Gigi’s mind went blank as she frowned, thinking deeply, what did she mean? Gigi opened her mouth to say something, the expression on Crystal’s face urging her to do so, but nothing came out. Suddenly, the music completely stopped and the lights got turned on. ‘There’s a dead girl in the pool!’ They both heard from outside “I have to go” Gigi mumbled, scrambling to get to the scene. 

Crystal stood there, dumbfounded with her little heart broken, but it didn’t take long for an exasperated Jackie to approach her, looking completely sober “Crystal! Thank God we found you, we need to leave! The police are on their way” She said, nervous enough to not notice that something was going on, while Jan blinked a few times, confused and saddened by her expression. 

Crystal somehow sobered up quickly, fitting back on her coat and grabbing her purse, her lips pressed against each other tight as she tried to not add the “Cry” to “Crystal”, passing Jackie the keys to her car so she could drive the five of them, as Rock tagged along, to the diner like it was promised earlier. Even if her cravings were about to be satisfied, on the inside she felt like the girl in the pool; dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i added miss katya as a recurring character because hers and crystal’s interactions on Twitter have been super pure. fun fact: i feel the way people take other's food without asking is a sign of true friendship and trust, hence why it happens so much when crystal is around any of her friends. i hope you enjoyed the new chapter and thank you for reading!!


	4. forget her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well… Crys, we know it’s unfortunate but all that’s left is to move on. Forget her” Jackie was the first one to speak, watching the girl stop her indulgence to then continue without saying another word. 
> 
> “Positive thing is, this happened just on the crushing stage. At least you didn’t get to ask her out and be rejected” Rock said, her words were a little too honest for anybody’s liking but she wasn’t wrong in any way. 
> 
> “Yeah, I guess” Crystal only replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! i would like to issue a small warning: this chapter is kinda sad. it deals with a lot of negative things. just have that in mind before reading, i don’t want anybody to feel hurt or uncomfortable. happy reading.

_Crystal somehow sobered up quickly, fitting back on her coat and grabbing her purse, her lips pressed against each other tight as she tried to not add the “Cry” to “Crystal”, passing Jackie the keys to her car so she could drive the five of them, as Rock tagged along, to the diner like it was promised earlier. Even if her cravings were about to be satisfied, on the inside she felt like the girl in the pool; dead._

Crystal sat by the window, eating from time to time, her eyes lost in the fogginess the pouring rain brought. At one point, the whole table just stopped eating and looked at her, each and every one of them deeply concerned. Her face was twisted into a mix of emotions, all negative, and she looked like she was on the blink of crying with each passing second. 

“Birdie, can you speak to us?” Rock dared to ask, her voice sounding tiny, using the nickname she gained after singing _‘I’m like a bird’_ by Nelly Furtado at a drunk attempt of karaoke, where even Jan was so drunk she couldn’t sing correctly. She was the last one to take notice of things and more when she was so high, she was probably on another dimension but the girl sitting next to her was so far away from them it was impossible to not say anything. 

“Yeah girl, what happened?” Jan said, very carefully and softly, extending her hand across the table to place it on hers, as a way of support. It was unlike Jan for her to behave so quietly and reserved, but due to the circumstances, she thought she had to be so, for Crystal 

The diner was almost empty, they’ve been there for a while and they could spend even more time if they wanted to; the staff loved them and it did feel like home there, the warm lighting was comfortable while the food always stayed immaculate as always. “I can’t believe you guys let me crush on a straight girl” Crystal managed to mutter out, feeling defeated, her bottom lip quivering for a bit. Rock almost threw herself to wrap her arms around her as comfort, while the other three ladies shared a look. The worst thing that could happen to a soft, useless lesbian like Crystal was falling for a girl who turned out to be straight. 

“How did you find out? Did you see her making out with a random guy? I’ll go beat their asses, chile” Jaida cracked her knuckles, managing to squeeze a small, awkward smile out of Crystal. 

“Not at all. I asked _the_ question” With her free hand, she started snacking on her bacon cheese fries once more, delighted by the comfort food but still looking mortified “And then she stared at me like I was crazy. Then when apparently someone was dying she said she had to go and left awkwardly” 

The four girls left out a low “Uhh”, quickly apologizing about the rude manner, while Crystal’s face dropped even more than it did before. Before anyone else could talk, a fresh slice of blueberry pie and a vanilla bean milkshake with extra sprinkles was pushed towards Crystal. The four looked up, instantly smiling at their favorite server. “It’s on the house. To try and cheer you up a little, okay?” She said with a warm smile, looking at Crystal, who half smiled back and nodded, accepting the dessert and drink. Each of the girls giving her the space to eat in peace. 

“Thank you, Latrice” Jackie said for her, the other girls mumbling their thanks as well. She just gave them a smile before walking off to continue doing her job, scolding some drunk teens coming from probably the same party, the table falling into silence as Crystal ate her things looking a little less miserable, Rock trying to dig in as well but Jackie intervened, slapping the fork away. 

“Well… Crys, we know it’s unfortunate but all that’s left is to move on. Forget her” Jackie was the first one to speak, watching the girl stop her indulgence to then continue without saying another word. 

“Positive thing is, this happened just on the crushing stage. At least you didn’t get to ask her out and be rejected” Rock said, her words were a little too honest for anybody’s liking but she wasn’t wrong in any way. 

“Yeah, I guess” Crystal only replied once she was finished with everything, cleaning the corners of her mouth with a napkin, wiping away part of her already ruined lipstick. “Thanks for the support guys” 

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Jan asked, giving her a soft look into her eyes and a warm smile, all the girls waiting anxiously for an answer coming from her. 

“Sure” Crystal nodded firmly, making them satisfied by their work for the night. 

So that was a fucking lie. The fake smile she carried faded away as she closed the door. Crystal sniffed, trying not to cry as she slipped out of the high heels, her feet thanking her as she did so; the euphoria of the last few hours made her completely forget the pain they were enduring. She tried to hold in the tears as she undressed slowly, putting everything back into place. But it was too much: the anger, the sadness, everything was consuming her, resurfacing past doubts and issues. 

Once again, she felt like a failure. It was like she was back home, in High School, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her breathing got heavier and her vision blurrier, disregarding the fact she just took out her contacts. Fuck. It had been a while since she had a panic attack. “Why don’t things fucking work out for once?!” Crystal asked herself angrily, rubbing the makeup off her face with a rag. And before she knew it, she crumbled down, sliding down the wall to hit the cold bathroom floor, the sky crying loudly alongside the heartbroken redhead. 

“C’mon, breathe. Remember what Heidi used to tell you” Crystal tried to pull herself together. She closed her eyes shut to relieve the memory. 

_“You’ll be okay, Crystal. Let’s breathe together, okay?” The sweet girl with a sweeter accent told her, holding her hands in between hers “One, two, three… Inhale. Hold… Exhale” Heidi released the air into a whistle through her gap, making 16 year old Crystal release a weak laugh after she could breathe correctly. That was the first of her many panic attack relief sessions._

She smiled nostalgically to herself at the memory, realizing how much she missed her friends back home while getting up and fitting into a large old t-shirt and a pair of yoga shorts, the tears stopping once her eyes couldn’t physically produce more. So she sneaked under the covers, whining and sniffing like a wounded dog, the pitter patter of the raindrops outside her window serving as comfort for her to fall asleep. 

Gigi Goode stumbled inside her bedroom, heels in hand. Noticing the whole ‘dead girl in the pool’ was just a scheme to pull some people inside the pool, not that it mattered because it started raining, she didn’t have the opportunity to sober up instantly as the older pledges managed the situation when it came to the police. Her mind was swirling around the events of the night, still far away and poisoned with alcohol for it to grasp reality yet. But the image of Crystal’s smile was still vivid, as if they were standing face to face right there and then, but along with that came her expression when Gigi didn’t answer the seemingly important question. 

“Finally you’re here! I want to lock that door and fall asleep for days” Nicky rushed her inside, closing the door behind her. Gigi grasped onto her, trying to not stumble over by the sudden movement “Damn Geeg, you’re that drunk?” Nicky asked. She wasn’t usually the mom of the trio, the roll was distributed between her and Gigi herself, but the latter mentioned was somewhere else that night. 

“Maybe” Gigi slurred, sneaking out little giggles as she held tightly onto her friend, who guided her towards her comfortable bed. Each bed had the same bedding in different colors, it was hilarious but the interior designer who helped them while moving in advised them to do so for a more matching concept. 

“I never thought I would see the day Miss Goode-y two shoes was drunker than me after a party” Dahlia commented, already in her pajamas with her hair picked up to perfection, sitting at the small nook next to their window, eating a piece of cake and watching the rain fall. 

“You’re baked off your ass, shut up bitch” Gigi drunkenly argued, pointing at her as she took off her clothes while Nicky fetched her a clean pair of pajamas. “I can see your red eyes perfectly with my sober person vision” 

“Fair enough” Dahlia laughed, continuing to eat the dessert “The girl from the beach with the pink hair made the best weed brownies ever, I ate like 5. I’m tripping balls right now but what’s new?” She replied nonchalantly, not feeling much of an effect but knowing once she lays down, she’s going to astral project somewhere else. 

“Lay down” Nicky commanded Gigi after she was done fitting the pair of soft pajamas. She started removing the mug the talented girl painted. “And we’re done!” She smiled proudly, looking at her friend’s clean face, not receiving an answer; Gigi was fast asleep, snoring loudly with her limbs stretched over. Nicky just laughed and wrapped her in the covers. 

**‘Oh fuck. It’s a Sunday’** Was the first thing Crystal thought once she became aware of her surroundings, loud knocks on the door waking her up. It was still raining, something very very rare for the state of California, but maybe it was good. It made her feel less lonely to think that the sky was suffering with her as well. Her head was pounding, and even after the amount of alcohol consumed the night before, she still remembered everything very clearly.

“Crystal, c’mon, open up! We’re worried!” Jan’s voice was loud, even though it was muffled by the door. She checked the time. ‘8 PM’ Fuck. She slept twelve hours plus another four were wasted just laying down in bed, not wanting to move. But somehow she still felt very tired. Her friends have been trying to contact her for hours until they decided to show up. 

She gathered all her strength to get up, happy once she did the headache didn’t increase its intensity. She opened the door, small gasps coming out of her friends’ mouths. In front of them was what was left of Crystal: puffy eyes, runny red nose, dark circles, tangled hair and bad posture. 

“Come here babe” Jackie extended her arms out not caring about dropping her wet raincoat and umbrella, Crystal accepting the offer and getting into her motherly embrace. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out” She whispered, kissing the top of her head as the girl sniffled quietly. 

The connection between Crystal and Gigi was evident and strong, they both looked so into each other, it was impossible to just let the inconvenience slide and move on with their lives. If it was any other unsuccessful crush or relationship Crystal would just hop on her dancing shoes and hit the streets with her girls, if she reacted the way she was doing right now, her friends would just slap her with the harsh truth and tell her she was delusional. But the event was so impactful it was different. Everything gathered up to destroy her at once, and Gigi being straight was just the tipping point. 

While Jan was out with Crystal’s car fetching some pizza and ice cream, Jaida and Jackie prepared her a warm bubble bath, filling up the ratty tub as much as they without using all the water within the limit in place, helping her relax by talking to her and massaging and brushing her hair, with ‘Bags’ by Clairo serving as background music; they washed away the dirtiness and worries from the previous night with the coconut and hibiscus hair products that made her personal scent. 

“You should have told us you were still feeling sad last night, Crissy” Jackie commented, coming out of the bathroom when she was done organizing it, after a couple minutes in comfortable silence, watching Jaida treat the girl’s damp hair, combing through some products to nurture it even more. They sat distributed around the dorm, which had more space for them to just lay around and relax. 

“I thought I was okay too… It just went downhill when I got here” Crystal admitted, sitting on the floor wearing comfortable clothes, cuddling into the warmth of her knitted cardigan, the thunder outside rumbling. “I went to sleep at four AM and I got up at four but I just dissociated for another four hours until you guys got here” 

“Do the dissociation episodes happen more often now?” Jackie asked, concerned, while opening the door to Jan, who came back with dinner, and quietly greeted the girls instead of her usual excited, loud greetings. 

“Not at all. They usually happen back at home and I have my therapist there” She chewed on her lip, as she did when she thought about things. She wasn’t lying, not at all; the episodes happened when she felt under pressure, or at least they did most of the time. 

“Then you should give her a call later” Jackie said, taking off Crystal’s glasses delicately and raising her chin to administer some refreshing drops for the irritated eyes, soon leaving her side to help her girlfriend serve the food. 

“I will” She nodded, while Jaida sectioned her hair in two to start styling it into two dutch braids. Jan passed her a plate with two fresh slices of three cheese pizza with oregano and cayenne pepper flakes. “Jan… Did you really drive to Santa Monica to get that oven brick pizza we ate at the beach?” 

Jan smiled brightly “You know it. Hush and eat before it gets cold!” She replied with her usual attitude, being nicer than before, if it was even possible. 

“You’re done,” Jaida said, smoothing the hairs in front. Moments like these made Crystal feel like the luckiest college student in the world. With friends like them she started to realize no matter how big or small the issue was, they would be there for her in their funny and loving nature. Maybe that would always be enough. 

“Would knowing my full name cheer you up?” Jan said out of nowhere as they ate silently with One Direction playing on the turntable softly, each concentrated in eating the yummy pizza. While Crystal sat on the floor, Jaida was on her bed, while Jan and Jackie occupied the empty bed. Those were their usual spots when they hung out, sometimes Crystal and Jaida would switch places while Rock sat on the desk when present. Crystal perked up, showing her interest. 

“Sure? I’m sure it’s not even that bad and you’re just exaggerating” Crystal mumbled, watching Jan take out her phone and scroll through her gallery, searching for the specific picture. She passed the phone to Crystal, who had to set down her plate to process what was in front of her eyes. 

“Why you so quiet? Let me see that” Jaida snatched the phone away from her grip, observing the birth certificate and before anyone could process it, they both broke down in hysterics. Jaida kept mumbling things in between while Crystal doubled over in laughter.

“Y-your name… Your full first name is Jan… JanSport? Like the backpack?” Crystal struggled to speak through the laughter, her eyes watering while Jaida on the bed was rolling around, the laughter being silent and the only noise being the loud gasps of air she took. 

“Yes ma’am. Not Janice nor Jannifer” Jan said, not really caring about her rather embarrassing name being exposed, but the fact she was able to make her friend laugh after a horrible few couple hours. 

There, Crystal considered they were enough. Laughing until their ribs got tired will always be enough, not only for her but for them as well. Maybe it was for the best to forget her, realize she was in L.A. instead of back in Missouri where her trauma resided and trust that her friends will always be by her side until things got better. 

“So I saw you getting all… buddy-buddy with Crystal Methyd yesterday, what was that about?” Dahlia asked curiously, while out on dinner with her friends in a rather expensive restaurant, but mostly everyone wasn’t in the mood for doing anything around the house during the rainy night so they decided to take advantage of it. They sat by the glass windows, observing downtown Los Angeles in it’s dewy glory due to the rain. 

Gigi finished eyeing the menu and closed it, setting it down on the table carefully “It was very nice. She’s… something else. In the best way. But she asked me something at the end of the night that left me confused” She admitted. The question had been consuming her brain for the past couple hours, leaving it out for her to reach out so her friends could help her. Their both seemed interested in the subject at least. 

“What was it?” Nicky hummed, repeating the same action Gigi did, calling the waiter to take their order. Gigi stayed silent as they ordered, waiting for the waiter to leave the premises before speaking. 

“She asked me if I listened to girl in red,” Gigi huffed, feeling like it was the dumbest thing in the world to be asking around. She sipped on her lemonade as Nicky and Dahlia waited for the answer she gave. “What?”

“... And you said yes, right?” Nicky looked at her, with narrowed eyes. Her response took Gigi aback even more. Who is this girl in red everyone knew about so much? Was she that clueless? 

“Right?” Dahlia repeated, both coming closer to her, eager for an answer. “Oh my god…” She gasped once Gigi was taking too long to answer, her silence saying more than words. 

“Was I supposed to? I don’t know who that is. You guys know I listen to SZA, 2000s’ music and stuff like that” Gigi shrugged, feeling a little panicked as if they were overreacting, just like Crystal did once she didn’t receive a concrete answer. 

“No, no, no. You don’t need to know who she is. _Mon Dieu_ , Goode. You’re so stupid” Nicky exclaimed dramatically, her voice low so other costumers wouldn’t turn to stare at them, pinching the bridge of her nose carefully. “She was basically asking you in code if you’re gay! Girl in red is a lesbian who lesbians listen to” She leaned in, looking between her two friends. 

Gigi’s face went pale. “What?” She managed to whisper, starting to understand everything. Gigi had fucked up and fucked up big time. All her chances with Crystal were going down the drain because of a small misunderstanding and total foolishness coming from her. How didn’t she not know what that term meant? She felt she had failed as a lesbian, something that took her time to admit she was. 

“Girl, poor Crystal thinks you’re straight. You need to figure that shit out” Dahlia said, not sugar coating the situation, as she always did. Oh she knew she had to figure that out, but how? Then the lightbulb on top of her head lit up at the thought of her classmate; Jaida Essence Hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry this was so sad, but the next chapter i’m sure it’s coming sooner than i anticipated and it’s one of my favorites i’ve written so far, i’m not even done with it but i can assure you its barely angsty. thank you for reading!!


	5. we fell in love in october

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Look, there might have been a slight misunderstanding on Saturday” Gigi started, Crystal interrupting her almost immediately. 
> 
> “Yeah, I know. Um… I’m sorry I started hitting on you while you’re… not gay” Crystal said quickly, looking apologetic while her eyes displayed the pain she felt about the small issue. 
> 
> “Crystal, can you let me speak, please?” Gigi pleaded, the girl turning her mouth into a straight line, nodding. “Thank you” She said to the server who set down their orders. “As I was saying… Crystal, I do listen to girl in red; I just didn’t understand the analogy” 
> 
> Crystal sat there, in confusion, her brows furrowed and her lips pressed together, looking adorable as ever. Gigi chuckled a little nervously under her breath, giving her some space, taking a sip of her coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another day, another chapter! this is probably one of my favorites i’ve written so far and i hope you like it as much as i did! it’s a long one since there’s an awful lot to unpack so sit tight and enjoy!

_“Girl, poor Crystal thinks you’re straight. You need to figure that shit out” Dahlia said, not sugar coating the situation, as she always did. Oh she knew she had to figure that out, but how? Then the lightbulb on top of her head lit up at the thought of her classmate; Jaida Essence Hall._

“Jaida!” Gigi tried to catch up with her as fast as she could with the shoes she was wearing, the orange heeled boots clicking down the now empty hall. With very similar schedules, both had free periods now. Jaida turned at the mention of her name, stopping her way to wait for her, feeling a little intrigued on what she might say. 

Four days had passed since the party and this was the time Gigi had gathered all her courage to finally approach Jaida asking for help, too afraid to go find Crystal on her own. Gigi spent those last few days consumed by anxiety and nerves, not really sure what her next step would be depending on what Jaida responded to her proposition. But she kept reminding herself she was _the_ Gigi Goode. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and going after the girl she had a crush on shouldn’t be an exception. 

“Hey girl, what’s up?” Jaida replied politely, not going into her usual euphoria of talking to someone she knew. Gigi observed her for an instance; perfect outfit, perfectly beat mug, perfect hair with edges laid out in sole perfection, even in the horrible weather and the superstition in her face topped it all off with a touch of lip gloss. She stared back at Gigi with an eyebrow raised, waiting for the words to come her way. 

“There might have been a small misunderstanding during the weekend” Gigi started out, nervously. Jaida raised her perfectly manicured hand to interrupt her politely.

“Look, Crystal was very sad and I will not be sending her whatever apology you’re trying to offer her through me” Jaida set the record straight, her arms crossing as Gigi’s face dropped for a second but reconstructed itself back into determination. 

“No, no. You don’t understand. Jaida, I’m a lesbian” Gigi gathered all her courage and said with her whole chest, watching Jaida’s face go straight into confusion, one of her favorite feelings to inflict onto people but not experience it herself “But I didn’t know what that question meant or who girl in red was, but I made a mistake. I need to see her” 

“Forreal?” Jaida raised her eyebrows, still a bit suspicious, but received a very serious nod from her counterpart. They started to make their way out the building, it was raining very softly, after two days with just cloudy and dark skies, it decided to pour once again “Wow. Okay. I can text her if you’d like, then you can act around that” 

Gigi nodded, a smile threatening to creep up her face “Yes please! Thank you so much, Jaida” She sighed, more than delighted. 

“To set the record straight, I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing this for Crystal. You seriously break her heart this time and my earrings will be off in less than a second the next time I see you” Gigi took the mental note that Jaida would make a very good business woman; she was serious and seemed like she kept her word in all circumstances. 

Gigi nodded solemnly “I know. And I’m sorry about all I’ve done” And she meant it. Gigi had to get a new manicure to avoid chewing her nails from the anxiety that consumed her mind for the last few days. But she needed time for herself to make peace with that fact that people she might not trust as much will have to know about her sexuality for her to fix things. 

“Save that for when you see her, girl,” Jaida advised, before pulling out her phone from her purse, searching through her recent chats. 

Crystal bolted up by the sound of her phone buzzing on her pocket, looking around the almost empty library, sniffing slightly. Fuck. She had fallen asleep again. From all the drama of the weekend, she didn’t have time to complete her introductory project for her plastic arts class, thus she pulled a couple all-nighters to complete the exhausting project. 

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Girl, where are you? ]** She read the text message from 3 minutes ago. Crystal would usually be in a class right now, but two of her teachers didn’t make it to class in time due to traffic and/or the weather, so she took the time to advance in other projects, only to fail miserably while doing so.

**[ Lady Bird: library. i’m heading out for a coffee, why? ]** she typed, setting the phone down before getting up and stretching a bit, fixing her glasses and attire, checking for the cuffed jeans to be in place and the neon green laces of her old black converse full of bleach and paint spots tied so she wouldn’t slip or wet her clothes.

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Is it at your usual? ]** The phone vibrated once more, surprising Crystal; Jaida was a horrible texter at most of the times and took her sacred time, sometimes long hours to reply.

**[ Lady Bird: yeah, but why r u asking?? ]** She sighed, still not receiving a concrete answer to her questions, picking up what belonged in her bag but wasn’t inside it, before fitting in her raincoat over her cardigan, the faint gold piece with purple lining on the inside was one of the least on brand of hers, it looked very fancy. She slung her bag on one shoulder, picked up her umbrella and whispered a quick goodbye to the librarian before leaving the place, her tangled earbuds playing something she didn’t care in recognizing.

She opened her clear glittery umbrella and walked across campus, minding her own business, until she received another text **[ Confusia the 3rd: No reason. ]** Crystal rolled her eyes. The master of confusion was at it again. Lately Crystal was either sad or bored, something unusual coming from her, she felt hyper aware of her surroundings and even healed piercings started bothering her once more. 

She sat in her car, the rain patting the windows softly, analyzing the text more than it was healthy. She decided to just ignore it and drive downtown, to her favorite coffee shop, the one she met up with Katya the day of the “incident”. Everywhere Crystal went, they knew her. She kept going to the same places, her anxiety playing a part in that, as she felt better going to places she already knew and felt like home. 

The drive was a little hectic, Crystal felt immensely bothered by the traffic, which is horrible already from a day to day basis, it was like people got water in their brains when it rained since they got dumber. Once she arrived at the café, parking in her usual spot, the one she knew no one would park in because it was a little complicated to get in, but she learned to manage her way around it. She went to order at the counter, asking for a large caramel latte with oat milk, since their selection was delightful, and a few pastries as she was in need of food and caffeine, before sitting down at her usual booth, pulling out her computer to check her schedule and advance on any other class related thing she might need, with _‘On the corner where you live’_ by The Paper Kites played silently on her earbud, isolating her from the world. 

Gigi thought her heart was going to pop out her chest while she felt a little seasick as she got off the uber, thanking her driver. She stood under her yellow umbrella, looking around the premises surrounding the small business. It was nothing similar to her usual Starbucks, but still the place looked well taken care of and cozy. She thought she was going to throw up from the nerves when her eyes landed on Crystal; she was very concentrated on the MacBook in front of her, her tangled earbuds hung from her left ear, a stray curl that left the rushed hairdo landing flawlessly in her forehead while she held part of her frizzy curls the weather granted with colorful pins, wearing the same cardigan from the time at the library, under it a tight black cropped shirt that left a bit of her stomach exposed. Gigi blushed at the unplanned sighting of her tan skin, before taking a deep breath and going inside, closing her umbrella before completely stepping in and taking off her clear raincoat once she left her umbrella aside with the rest that belonged to other customers. 

Crystal thought she was going into cardiac arrest when she noticed a slender figure walking her way. In front of her stood Gigi Goode, wearing an orange sweater with a row of buttons in the collar and hems. She had a white tennis pleated skirt, mostly hidden by the length of the sweater, the collar of a white shirt poking out, the gold Gigi necklace she always wore was under it, her hair fixed perfectly with an orange headband and her lips had an orange-ish red lip gloss in them. “Hey” She said softly, “Jaida told me you might be in here. Is this seat taken?” 

Crystal felt a bit angry since she wasn’t dressed for the occasion of meeting anyone except her classmates, who saw her drag herself to 8 AM lectures in pajamas, and was now just sporting a tint, a tube of concealer, a green graphic liner, a copious amount of blush and a tinted lip balm ‘That sneaky little bitch’ Crystal thought, taking off the one earbud before offering her a polite smile “Wow, um, hi” It was either that or for her to break down crying. “Guess she was right after all… Come sit” She stood up and removed her things from the empty chair, setting them down by her side on the long bench she sat. “Want me to fetch you a drink?” She asked, restraining her face from turning sour at the same words she said to her on Saturday. 

Gigi thought that if the girl was more nice, it could be considered as crime “Hazelnut macchiato with skim milk and whipped cream, please and thank you” Gigi said, watching Crystal nod a couple times, trying to engrave the order in her mind and get up, happily ordering for her, telling the barista to add it to her unfinished order, since it hadn’t been long since she arrived. She noticed how Crystal was a ‘big pants little shirt’ kind of gal. It fit her personal aesthetic very well somehow. 

Crystal went and sat back down, closing her computer and putting it away in her bright blue backpack. “So… Uh, what brings you around here?” Crystal asked politely, and Gigi couldn’t avoid wanting to know what was going through her mind. 

“Look, there might have been a slight misunderstanding on Saturday” Gigi started, Crystal interrupting her almost immediately. **‘Jeez, does everyone in their group just interrupt each other all the time’** She thought, noticing a pattern from her encounter with Jaida earlier. 

“Yeah, I know. Um… I’m sorry I started hitting on you while you’re… not gay” Crystal said quickly, looking apologetic while her eyes displayed the pain she felt about the small issue. 

“Crystal, can you let me speak, please?” Gigi pleaded, the girl turning her mouth into a straight line, nodding. “Thank you” She said to the server who set down their orders. “As I was saying… Crystal, I do listen to girl in red; I just didn’t understand the analogy” 

Crystal sat there, in confusion, her brows furrowed and her lips pressed together, looking adorable as ever. Gigi chuckled a little nervously under her breath, giving her some space, taking a sip of her coffee. **‘Hm. This is delicious. Why haven’t I been here before?’** Gigi wondered as Crystal took her time to react. In those three to five minutes, Crystal’s mind raced like it was a car, ending up to crash into the conclusion that the revelation made her fall hard for the woman sitting in front of her in just a short encounter and a party ending in tragedy, thankful to end up hitting a cushion instead of a bed of bricks. 

“Are you… serious?” Crystal managed to mutter, looking at her in awe. Something felt nice inside her. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Gigi nodded, smiling shyly “Okay, um, you scared the fuck out of me” Crystal sighed, sinking into her seat, relieved. “I thought it was going too far with you and that maybe even if you didn’t like girls you wouldn’t even like me as a friend and it kinda hurt because you simply seemed so amazing and I’m sure you actually are… oh uh I’m definitely rambling, am I?” 

Gigi laughed. She hated to admit she was too adorable. It was nice to see that vulnerable side of Crystal that wasn’t present when she consumed substances or the encounter was for longer than 5 minutes “I’m sorry I concerned you too much! I just didn’t know what it meant! I could be anything but straight” She chuckled, sipping on her coffee. It made her feel lighter being able to discuss her sexuality openly with someone other than her mom, since it was a bit of an unspoken topic with Nicky, Dahlia and the rest of her family, and she was in the closet for everyone else she knew that wasn’t close to her. 

“Cheers to that, I guess” Crystal raised her cup and gave Gigi the warmest, brightest smile she had ever seen coming from her, making her feel fuzzy inside. “If you don’t mind me asking, uh, how could you not know what it meant? I personally get that asked a lot. And you know, the internet” She tapped the clear case of her slightly cracked phone. 

Gigi thought about it. How didn’t she get asked that sort of stuff? Then she remembered; the things she did practically deemed her as straight. A very straight girl. It did hurt a little. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just straight passing” She sighed softly, aware of the puppy eyes she received from behind a pair of glasses, which got foggy when Crystal approached the cup with the steaming drink to her face. “And I haven’t really had contact with the queer culture on campus. If there’s any?” 

Crystal laughed, the sound making her counterpart smile “That’s funny, tell another one! We’re part of an art school. Um, might as well just deem it gay school, I think just two people in each of my classes are straight and they’re probably questioning” She commented casually, humming pleasantly at the taste of the fresh blueberry muffin she started eating. 

For the first time in the day, it was Gigi’s turn to look confused. She never thought about that, or had any contact with that side of campus more than once, since her classmates who might be part of the community, aside from Nicky, she had only spoken to less than a few times. But maybe that was good news, right? “That’s good to know” She nodded, trying to convince herself more than her companion. They sat there for a short while, just enjoying each other’s company, quietly snacking and drinking. 

“Do you… want to go out sometime?” Crystal was the first one to speak, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, her finger tracing the rim of the almost empty mug. “Like a date” 

Gigi’s entire face lit up but she hid behind the cup, taking a sip of her beverage, trying not to seem too enthusiastic; her first date. With a woman. And not any woman, it was Crystal. The girl her heart skipped a beat for and didn’t even know that much about. She confirmed with a nod “I’m free on Saturday” She smiled softly after putting her beverage back down, brushing her hair aside. 

“Shall I surprise you?” Crystal proposed, having a bunch of ideas in mind, hoping at least one of them would fit Gigi’s idea of “the perfect date”. Her brain started to work, like a machine that just got turned on to labor at full force. She looked at pros and cons of her different ideas of dates, considering every factor. 

Surprisingly enough, Crystal was snapped out of her deep analysis process by a soft hand with perfect manicured nails grabbing hers, feeling the movement and wet ink on her palm. “We’ll see if you can” Gigi replied after she finished writing down her number, feeling bold enough to smirk and wink at her. It was just her usual taunting behavior, but for her to do it with Crystal it was a whole other story. She deserved to have all that thoughtfulness implied unto her. Crystal retracted her hand, not actually wanting to let go, before both giggled to each other sounding similar to two middle schoolers who knew the juiciest gossip in all school.

** def NOT talking abt the husband **

**[ Daddy Cox: < Crys, good luck on your date today! Text us if you need anything ] **

**[ _The Backpack:_ best of luck girl!! I’m sure it’ll turn out just fine! you’re the best organizing things… somehow ] **

_[ Lady Bird: thank you bb. not you, janelle, you can choke. i am excellent at planning things ]_

**[ The Backpack: not this. don’t! be! fucking! rude! ]**

_[ Lady Bird: are you kidding me? you read me first! ]_

**[ Dwayne Johnson: shut up y’all, i have an important message ]**  
**[ Dwayne Johnson: birdie, take care of my picnic basket, that shit was expensive. we want all the details after ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Didn’t you “borrow” that basket from Walmart? ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: um chile anyways so,, ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Wait what do you mean by borrowing, Jaida? ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Look over there! ]**

**[ Daddy Cox:Did you steal it, Rock? ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: gotta zayn! ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Rock?? ]**  
**[ Daddy Cox: ROXANNE ]**

****

**[ The Backpack: Oop I remember that night ]**

****

**[ Daddy Cox: JANSPORT ARE YOU KIDDING ME ]**

****

Crystal laughed at the chaos going on in the group chat as she drove inside the school’s parking lot, Rock’s gorgeous (and apparently stolen) picnic basket in the back seat along with her tote bag, a mini cooler and the picnic blanket that turned into a backpack for easier transportation, a weird gadget she wasn’t surprised Jan had in her dorm somewhere. After the little coffee shop encounter they had on Wednesday, the skies had cleared up significantly and Crystal found it more than ironic. The city was back to its sunshine days, the heat and Crystal’s happiness coming back was less than surprising, so Crystal wore a light blue linen skirt, a blue and white shirt with different patterns, which she tied a few inches above her belly button, her hair was pulled back by a bright red silk bandana, with a few stray curls framing her face. Her little smile widened at the sight of Gigi, who was waiting for her patiently at the entrance of the school. The woman displayed a bright smile at the sight of her, waving shyly as she approached. She was visibly nervous, it was her first date with a woman. From past dates with men, she had really bad experiences and with expectations in the basement, she hoped things would be at least a little bit better. 

****

****

“Hey there gorgeous” Crystal greeted her, getting out of the car and walking towards her. She removed her sunglasses and placed them on her pocket before giving her a warm hug, Gigi was thankful for the gesture so she didn’t see her face tinting into a deep red. 

****

****

“Hi Crystal! You look patriotic” Gigi said once they broke away, noticing Crystal’s choice of outfit. She scrunched up her nose at that, her glittery lids shining under the sun. “This is one of the few times I’ve seen you without big pants”

****

****

“Ugh no! I hate the States” Crystal falsely whined, sticking her tongue out in disgust, laughing instantly while Gigi joined along, as she stared at her in awe at her mannerism. “Well it’s hot and we’re staying outside so um, I had to dress accordingly” In cities like New York, the start of October meant lower temperatures but in Los Angeles, the temperature goes down once the winter has fully approached, so they had to take advantage of the slightly comfortable weather while it lasted. 

****

****

Gigi connected the dots quickly, looking at the things Crystal had in the backseat of her car, her face lighting up as she did. “Are we going on a picnic?!” She gasped, impressed. She only saw picnic dates in movies, social media or watched other people have them from afar. “Thank God I made these brownies” She sighed, holding the small box in her hand; she had spent at least two hours with Nicky and Dahlia battling it out with the brownie recipe, trying to figure out how the concept would work. 

****

****

“Aw Gigi, you didn’t have to! But… do you like the idea? We can do something else if you'd like” Crystal asked with an awkward smile, hoping for the best. After descarting the ideas of skate park, coffee shop, beach, hike, thrifting, movies, bowling, arcade, concert, gay bar and a few other things, Crystal thought a picnic would be the better idea, not like the others weren’t good but they were a little too edgy for a first date. “You’re going to blend right in with the grass” 

****

****

“No, no! I love it! I love picnics!” Gigi squealed, Crystal felt warmth spreading across her chest as she placed the chocolate treat inside the basket. She spun around in the soft blue-lavander satin fabric skirt and puffy short sleeved blouse ensemble with a matching headband, which was embroidered with delicate flowers and greenery “Thank you? My mom made it”

****

****

“It's hot! I feel like you could wear a potato sack and still look amazing. Marilyn Monroe style” Crystal discovered one of her favorite past times was giving Gigi all the compliments in the world, because she deserved it. 

****

“Stop flattering me, you tease,” Gigi said in a high pitched voice, the one that came out when she was very nervous, the type of nervous where butterflies fluttered around her stomach, and giggled in the same frequency. 

****

____

****

Crystal just gave her a playful wink in response “Let’s get going!” She said, receiving an exciting nod from her date. She went ahead and opened the passenger door for Gigi “After you, m’lady” She did a horrible attempt of an Australian accent, making them both laugh. Gigi smiled at the Harry Styles air freshener she remembered so vividly. 

****

____

****

Crystal settled Gigi’s things in the backseat before hopping in, starting the vehicle. She passed the aux cord to Gigi, letting her play whatever she desired. Gigi felt flattered by the gesture and while the drive was fairly short, Crystal appreciated her rather simple music taste that built up her character even more. They laughed while Crystal guided Gigi through the park, after they located a spot close under a tree and close to the small body of water, which had recently been left vacant, to set the picnic blanket on. It was a beautiful park, well taken care of and it was mostly filled with families and couples looking to fetch a little sun and air, some having picnic lunches as well. 

They talked about everything and nothing while snacking on Chex Mix and similar things, just getting to know each other, sometimes leaving the current subject to tell funny anecdotes. Gigi realized how exciting Crystal’s college experience had been, even though she was a calm person, it was mostly due to her group of friends being all up for doing crazy things. She hoped deep inside she could find her way into her life, like having her own regular seating spot in her dorm when hanging out with her friends and having a weird nickname for the group chat. 

“... They have the best Halloween celebrations ever. We could go together this year if you’d like” Crystal smiled warmly, taking a sip of her water bottle she took out of the cooler. Gigi looked at her own and smiled, remembering the situation surrounding the item. 

_“Guys” Gigi called out the attention of her friends as they got ready for bed. “Do any of you have a reusable water bottle? And what does somebody mean when they say ‘wear light clothes’?”_

_“We do G, but that’s a little personal, you can’t share that kind of stuff” Dahlia hummed, picking her hair up to go to bed, so the perfect waves would maintain themselves during the night. “I don’t know, maybe leggings and a tank top?”_

_“Why?” Nicky asked from her bed, already tucked in and ready to sleep. “That is so not it, you can’t show up at a first date wearing leggings and a tank top. we’re not in the 2000s. Dressing like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton is not the standard anymore”_

_“Crystal asked me to bring one to our date. I’m scared, what if we're hiking? I don’t want my first date to be like that!”_

****

Crystal was just concerned for the environment and considered it unnecessary the purchase of plastic water bottles for the occasion, which Gigi thought was far more thoughtful and correct than the idea she had in mind. Damn she was so quick to jump into conclusions “You’re kidding me. I love Halloween” Gigi gasped, turning to her with wide eyes. 

Crystal eyes squinted a little while she smiled. Like every other other gay person, Halloween was her favorite day of the year. As soon as the evening was over and her mind functioned properly, she was already planning her costume and makeup for the next year. And Himeros hosted over the top, house down boots Halloween celebrations. “Then you have to come with us!” Something inside Crystal made her feel right about making plans for the relatively long term, it didn’t even feel rushed. 

“I’ll check my schedule,” Gigi teased, watching her grab the basket, pulling out their lunches. 

“You told me you’re not vegan or vegetarian, right?” Crystal asked once more, just trying to make sure while placing everything in front of them. 

“No, are you?” Gigi asked, taking the container and a fork, noticing the reduced amount of plastic there was. Her mouth watered at the sight of the bacon cheese fries once she opened it. Her brows raised at the pleasant surprise of Crystal opening a cold bottle of champagne, using regular glasses instead of the usual flute fancy glass, dropping a few of the fresh strawberries inside. 

“Not really. I’m not the biggest fan of meat anyways but it's not that I don’t eat it at all” Crystal commented, the fun fact interesting Gigi widely. She should keep that in mind for other dates. 

“We’ve spent more than two hours together and this is already my favorite day ever” Gigi said, taking a hold of her cup, catching the blush spreading across Crystal’s cheeks. 

“Oh wait! I need to take a pic” Gigi frowned when Crystal skipped grabbing her phone but rather reaching in her tote bag, her hand gripping a disposable camera. “Smile! You’ll see this in like 3 months!” She set her glass down, taking a quick picture of Gigi in her gleaming glory. Crystal saved the camera once more “Like a dear friend would say, _salamanti!_ That’s how you say cheers in Farsi, I think” Crystal giggled as they clinked their glasses to a toast.

“To good stuff” Gigi toasted as she took the first sip, Crystal repeating her words and action, sighing at the refreshment the drink brought. Gigi hummed after the first bite of her meal, clearly satisfied and impressed by the taste. “Jesus! This is so good!” Gigi covered her mouth to speak, not being able to swallow first before speaking from the excitement and surprise she felt. “Where did you get this?” She asked after swallowing the bite, looking at Crystal practically down her food quickly, 

“There’s this diner close to campus. It’s amazing. I called in to pick these up to go before we met up. I’m glad you like it” Crystal said, looking confused while Gigi reached for a napkin and cleaned the cheese off the corners of her mouth, careful to not ruin her lip gloss, Crystal’s face shifting into a dark red” “You seriously didn’t have to do that”

“But I wanted to,” Gigi smiled, feeling satisfied to see her so flushed. Once they finished eating their lunches, they had dessert, eating slowly while they talked, enjoying some chocolate chip cookies Rock had made them, the brownies Gigi managed to make last minute, lemon meringue mini tarts and some fresh fruit, along with finishing the bottle of champagne. 

“God, I’m stuffed!” Gigi sighed, laying down in the blanket, looking up at the tree branches partly covering the view of the clear sky which was tinted in orange and pinks. Crystal mimicked the action, laying down next to her, both quiet for a second. 

“You want to listen to girl in red?” Crystal dared to ask, both laughing “I’m serious! Here,” She took out her earplugs, Gigi noticed how she had untangled them. She cleaned them thoroughly on her blouse before passing her one. The first few notes of _‘girls’_ playing and something in Gigi’s mind clicked, understanding how anyone who liked women could like her music so much. It was really relatable and covered the struggles of accepting yourself as you came. Halfway through the song, Crystal’s hand softly touched hers, like she was asking for permission, and Gigi didn’t even hesitate in lacing their fingers together, feeling comfortable on how perfectly her hand fit in hers like it was made to measure. 

After a while of silence while they listened to music, Gigi turned to lay down on her side, while _Sofia_ by Clairo played dimly, watching Crystal laying down with her eyes closed. She noticed the collection of freckles that adorned her rosy cheeks, how good she looked with feathered brows and glittery lids. Every little thing made her even more unique. She quietly reached in for the instant camera, being able to snap a quick shot of Crystal relaxing with their surroundings serving as a beautiful background. Crystal’s lips curled into a small smile after listening to the flash.

“You’re just too good to be true” Gigi whispered a while after the occurrence, her hand leaving hers once more so she could caress her cheek, her thumb tracing along her cheekbone. Maybe it was the champagne or the fact she might be drunk in love that made her mouth slip and broadcast all her thoughts to the outside world. 

Crystal’s eyes fluttered open, her hazel eyes meeting Gigi’s own. Her eyes reminded her of Harry Styles; the way they both had similar green irises made Crystal cherish Gigi even more. She always remembered how rare that eye color was because of him. They felt like home. Watching her from where she laid, it was like a Renaissance angel popped out of its painting and came to pay her a special visit. “You’re ethereal, Gigi Goode” She sighed, taking Gigi’s hand apart from her face and kissing it softly, never breaking eye contact. 

Gigi’s lip curved into a genuine smile before starting to lean down, closing her eyes, heartbeat racing as her hand cupped Crystal’s cheek, until she noticed something wet came into contact with it “Crys, are you crying?!” Gigi gasped, opening her eyes with panic flooding her senses, sitting right up. All the existing and non existing types of anxiety ran through her whole body. 

“I’m sorry, Geeg! I cry every time I feel very strong emotions” She chuckled tearfully, sitting up as well, not losing any time to wrap her arms around her. “I’m sorry… I just really really like you” She sniffled, as Gigi held her tight. She breathed in deeply, feeling Gigi’s expensive but flowery toned perfume fill her senses, the scent of a powdery hairspray and fresh clothes straight out of a boutique were noticeable too. It made Crystal feel dizzy in the best way possible; she loved it. 

“No, no, no! It’s fine, I think it’s beautiful” Gigi admitted, inhaling in Crystal’s scent; coconut, hibiscus, soft lavender and linen with warm, soft scented perfume that made her feel at home “You’re the best, Crystal Methyd” Gigi decided, telling it more to herself than to the girl in her arms, squeezing her a little tighter, never wanting to let go. “I like you too. A lot” She whispered, feeling the girl press a kiss on her jawbone with the sweetest intentions. Without reading into each other’s thoughts, they both decided at the same time they fell in love with each other just the way each one was, under the fall orange sky the fifth of October provided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter and the next are my favorites so far, so i’m excited to finish the next one already. btw i’m dropping casual music recommendations in between chapters; we fell in love in october is another one of my favorites from girl in red, the climax is otherworldly. also i finally gave taylor swift’s new album folklore a listen and mirrorball is my personal favorite but the album is very good overall. thank you once again for reading!


	6. i wanna be your girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You cried?!” Jackie gasped, looking at Crystal with an amazed expression “Seriously Crissy we need to find a way to dry out those eyes of yours. I don’t think it’s healthy at this point”
> 
> “Did she like, run away? I would have done that” Rock shrugged, receiving complaints from Crystal, who groaned loudly “What?! I’m being realistic here!”
> 
> “You really do like her, huh?” Dahlia wondered, looking at her friend, who would have usually just ran away when someone dared to cry in front of her as she wasn’t the best mediator and definitely sucked ass at consoling anyone she wasn’t really familiar with. 
> 
> “I do…” Gigi sighed, laying back down on her bed. Nicky and Dahlia shared the look, smiling knowingly before getting up and continuing their tasks at hand. Laying down there, Gigi declared to herself that nothing could ruin her mood for the next few weeks to say the least.

_“No, no, no! It’s fine, I think it’s beautiful” Gigi admitted, inhaling in Crystal’s scent; coconut, hibiscus, soft lavender and linen with warm, soft scented perfume that made her feel at home “You’re the best, Crystal Methyd” Gigi decided, telling it more to herself than to the girl in her arms, squeezing her a little tighter, never wanting to let go. “I like you too. A lot” She whispered, feeling the girl press a kiss on her jawbone with the sweetest intentions. Without reading into each other’s thoughts, they both decided at the same time they fell in love with each other just the way each one was, under the fall orange sky the fifth of October provided._

“Today was amazing,” Gigi sighed. They stood across the street from Gigi’s sorority house. It was a little later than they expected to come back, but they quickly lost track of time with the talking and eating at their own paces, but they didn’t mind after all. 

“Only cause you were there” Crystal joked, both laughing softly. They stood there in silence for around two minutes that seemed like an eternity, just savoring their last moments together. 

“Thank you for everything. I’ll text you!” Gigi kissed her cheek, not wanting to let go of her hand but having to do so to cross the street. Crystal didn’t leave until she saw her enter the building safely, and got her way back to the dorm, not before sending a text to the group chat 

**def NOT talking abt the husband**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: all i’m saying is that maybe marilyn knew too much and she didn’t overdose ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Rock, how haven’t you been taken away by the CIA yet? ]**

**[ The Backpack: 99 questions scientists still can’t answer ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: i’m a bad bitch you can’t just mysteriously disappear me. i would intervene ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Wait but what would you do? ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: intervene. ]**

_[ Lady Bird: LADIES, role call @ my dorm!!!!! ]_

**[ Dwayne Johnson: LETS GO LESBIANS LETS GO ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: OMG IM OMW RN BITCH ]**

**[ The Backpack: @Daddy Cox I’M NOT WAITING FOR YOU THIS TIME I’M TOO EXCITED ]**

Crystal chuckled and walked away, Dahlia watching her do so from her spot in the nook next to the window “How’d it go?” She turned, anxiously waiting for a response from the newcomer, who stared blankly at the wall before exploding into a ball of excitement. 

“We’re going to Tiffany and Co., ladies, I need to ask her to marry me!” Gigi squealed, kicking off her sneakers and setting her things aside before throwing herself in the bed, giggling like a maniac. Both her friends rushed to get on her bed, ushering her for some space for them to sit down and acquire all the juicy details. 

“Was it that good? Don’t tell me you guys had sex on the first date” Dahlia said, looking at Gigi with disappointment, who responded with an aggravated face and a shake of her head. 

“No! Jesus Dahlia, that mind of yours is getting too creative lately” Gigi nudged her away, Dahlia balancing back towards her “She’s just… So different, and amazing” Gigi couldn’t help but wonder how that same exact conversation she was having was going for Crystal, knowing that as different and exciting as she was, her friends were so. 

“Damn miss, can I please bite a chunk out of that ass?!” Rock said from the door with a deep voice and a heavy southern accent before she started barking, the room exploding into laughter and hollering at her madness. The things that crossed her mind were so crazy, the group thought it couldn’t get worse as equally funny but they were wrong each time she opened her mouth. 

From down the block, Crystal’s friends rendezvous in her dorm after their coded call they had for meetings, Crystal herself was trying to change into pants, Rock walking in while she did so. Wearing the skirt for laying down in bed wouldn’t allow her to throw her legs in whatever position felt comfortable, something that was weird but happened each time they had a drawn out conversation; her body adapted weird positions while both talking and listening. They trusted each other enough to feel comfortable doing things like changing and walking around almost naked. Crystal finished putting on her usual yoga shorts and untying the knot from the shirt, letting it become larger and less fit to her body before throwing herself on her bed, the piece of furniture creaking under the sudden weight.

“Tell us everything” Jan sat in the vacant bed next to Jackie, who wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. This time it was Jaida’s turn to sit on the floor, while Rock stationed on the rotating chair that belonged to the desk. 

“I want to know everything. I even want to know how she breathes” Rock said, putting emphasis on the ‘everything’, everyone doing different expressions at her last statement, in which Rock herself didn’t even seem fazed at. “What? I said everything, I meant everything” 

“I took her on this picnic, right? Thanks to Rock for not adding weed to the cookies and lending me your stolen basket” Crystal was taking off her makeup and started out telling to her friends who seemed to be listening to the word of God themselves by the interest they demonstrated on the recap of her first date. 

“I can’t believe you stole that basket! I’ve taught you better than that!” Jackie intervened, looking more than appalled by her friend’s behavior. Rock just shrugged in her defense, not wanting to elaborate more about a night she barely remembered. How could a person steal a basket without getting caught? Nothing was impossible with Rock M. Sakura anyways.

“The place was amazing. There weren’t any bugs, it wasn’t as hot, we found a perfect spot under a tree and we just talked for hours before we started eating. We had so much to talk about!” Gigi clutched her decorative pillow tight to her chest, a dreamy smile adorning her face. “Ugh and the food! It was just delicious! Who would have thought bacon cheese fries could be so incredible?” 

“We drank champagne, I called in one of my favors from Katya, she got me that expensive type because Trixie forced her to and it was freezing cold so it was delicious. My mom told me once strawberries enhance the flavor so I just added some fresh ones I picked at the farmer’s market earlier” Crystal said as a matter of factly, her friends had mixed reactions. 

“And to think we’ve settled for cheap alcohol all these years when you could have called in a favor from the russian! I’m disappointed, Elizabeth” Rock faked a dramatic gasp, smashing her hand in the desk, careful to not let anything fall and possibly break. 

“Exactly! Why don’t you take _us_ on a date like that?” Jan crossed her arms, pretending to be mad while the others audibly groaned, confirming their discontent. “From now on, we’re not settling with you driving and lending us your car!” 

“Nah man, I’m tired of this single and hooking up shit. I’m coming with you guys on the next date” Dahlia told her roommate, sounding severely serious when it was clear she wasn’t, the smile that threatened to come out running her act. 

Nicky shoved a pillow in Dahlia’s face to shush her, not wanting to listen to her dramatic whines “Did you guys kiss?” The french romantic changed the subject with a bright smile that displayed interest, so thrilled to see her best friend so static. 

Gigi sighed, feeling a bit disappointed for at least two seconds before proceeding “We were about to but— get this…” 

“You cried?!” Jackie gasped, looking at Crystal with an amazed expression “Seriously Crissy we need to find a way to dry out those eyes of yours. I don’t think it’s healthy at this point” 

“We should all take a roadtrip to Springfield and change your name to just Cry. Because that’s all you do, girl” Jaida tutted from the floor, the One Direction throw blanket wrapped around her, shaking her head in disapproval, still knowing deep down there was no way Crystal could control her tears; she cried during Teen Beach Movie because _Cruisin' for bruisin'_ was a cinematic masterpiece and that Ross Lynch looked like, in her own words, 'The only boy who should have rights' 

“Did she like, run away? I would have done that” Rock shrugged, receiving complaints from Crystal, who groaned loudly and threw the beloved pillowpet in her direction. “What?! I’m being realistic here!” Rock threw the item right back, hitting her right in the face, Crystal falling back with an ‘Oof!’ 

“No! Actually, she said it was beautiful” Crystal placed the pillowpet behind her head and sank into an excited smile, her eyes glimmering with happiness and hope. 

“You really do like her, huh?” Dahlia wondered, looking at her friend, who would have usually just ran away when someone dared to cry in front of her as she wasn’t the best mediator and definitely sucked ass at consoling anyone she wasn’t really familiar with. 

“I do…” Gigi sighed, laying back down on her bed. Nicky and Dahlia shared the look, smiling knowingly before getting up and continuing their tasks at hand. Laying down there, Gigi declared to herself that nothing could ruin her mood for the next few weeks to say the least. 

But she was wrong, partly so. She was very wrong. 

Everything started out on Monday of the following week, she had met up with Crystal a week after their date for coffee, having a small get together before any other big dates. She arrived late to class, an historic event, since she woke up with allergies to dust, forgetting to set an appointment last Friday to get a shot to prevent the current issue. Only to end up getting dismissed before class could even end, her sneezes interrupting the class frequently on the discussion about the importance of deceased designers, like Gianni Versace, the possibilities of them defying fate and outliving their time and the impact that might have had in the fashion industry. By her dismissal she didn’t get to choose what she had to work on for the project assigned for next class. She got assigned Coco Chanel, she had a lot of material to work on and the fact she was practically a Nazi was… something else, to say the least. 

On Tuesday, the day wasn’t particularly horrible, she was still sneezing with her nose was leaking like crazy, not allowing her to have makeup placed in properly due to the Cleanex removing it constantly, and to top it all off Crystal was having a busy day **[ Crissy Bear: hi babe! i’m sorry to hear your allergies have worsened, but i can’t talk much today :( i have a packed schedule bc i’m doing extra work to get a spot to the seminar in lacma on friday. i’ll text you once i’m done, i promise! take care ]** As they grew closer with the passing week they texted each other constantly, Gigi appreciated a lot the honesty but unfortunately for her, it was her least busy day and she was advanced enough on the content for the project presentation on Friday. The day was going on normally until she burned her wrist on the top oven scolding hot rack trying to take out a tray of brownies out the oven. 

“You need to be more careful Miss Goode, okay?” The nurse scolded her very gently, applying a cream and wrapping the damaged area in gauze. “Never try taking something out of an oven with one hand” 

Back at her room, Nicky and Dahlia tried to make things better, organizing Gigi’s things when she couldn’t, fetching her tissues, food and things of the sort; they felt guilty for rejecting her pleas for help earlier when she was having trouble in the kitchen. Gigi insisted she didn’t need help but they still did their thing. 

“G, somebody is here to see you” Nicky smiled widely, returning to the room after disappearing for a while, her smile expressing she had been planning something. Gigi cocked an eyebrow, confused. She didn’t tell anyone about the little accident… or anything, in that matter. She refrained from telling anyone anything, really; just wanting to avoid getting hurt. Gigi Goode was a closed book to the outside world, her acquaintances knowing only the basics, nothing about her personal life. She was surprised in herself for trusting Crystal so blindly and just opening up to her on their first date, all her doubts melting away at how comprehensive and kind she was. 

“Hi” Crystal said from the door, carrying more than a few things in her hands, meaning she was fresh off class. She looked a little tired, the quilted jacket seemingly inspired by the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland swallowing her in, her hands and bare legs full of fresh paint and ink. She set her stuff down as both Nicky and Dahlia scurried away, closing the door behind them. 

“Aw you don’t have to look at me like that! It’s not like I got run over by a car” Gigi chuckled lightly, stretching her arms out and doing grabby hands, asking for a hug. Crystal laughed and just walked up to her, hugging her tight. Gigi noticed a pattern in Crystal’s jackets; they were all very comfortable. But she also noticed every time she hugged her, it felt like home. 

“I’m sorry we couldn’t talk much today” Crystal sighed, still not letting go of her. Once she did, they instantly laced their fingers together with Gigi’s healthy hand, Crystal taking her bandaged wrist, observing the decent amount of gauze and the small spot of blood that passed through it before pressing a kiss, whispering something her mom and maybe all latinx moms used to tell their kids when they was small and had hurt themselves _“Sana, sana, culito de rana, que si no se sana hoy, se sana mañana”_ Gigi laughed at the strange words in a language she assumed to be Spanish, Crystal responding with a smile of her own and a kiss on the cheek. Each went on to talk about their days, their hands never breaking away, stopping only once they were interrupted. “Okay I’m tired, I can’t wait for you guys to finish speaking about your undying love for each other to go to sleep” Dahlia grumbled, barging in, their voices stopping abruptly. 

“Oh no it’s late! I have a lecture at 8 AM” Crystal’s eyes widened before she closed them and whined, tired about her packed schedule. “I have to get going, bubbie. Rest well, okay?” She kissed Gigi’s forehead before picking up her supplies. 

“You too, birdie! Call me in the morning, okay?” Gigi said, receiving a nod and smile from her, the small conversation with Nicky sounding faded outside. 

“Y'all are too fucking sweet, it’s disgusting” Dahlia commented, surprising Gigi, who sat up to observe her friend, who was more than awake. 

“I thought you were asleep!” Gigi complained, receiving fake, loud snores from her roommate, making her laugh a little before laying back down, falling asleep with a smile on her face. 

After Crystal’s visit, Gigi found herself more enthusiastic, enough to pull herself out of campus on Wednesday and go to her parents house for dinner. She gathered all her courage to speak out while being asked how she was doing “So I’m seeing someone…” She started after informing them on how classes were going and how stressed she was with upcoming projects and such. It wasn’t like they were dating officially, and damn she wished they were, but she knew it wasn’t just a fling. 

Her brothers congratulated her right away, talking about how her mood had changed and how happy she looked, while her mom started gushing about being static on meeting her new partner. Gigi remembered the day she came out to them and she was thankful for the family she got, knowing other people were beaten and thrown out of their homes for being who they were, but her family was more than happy and supportive, she couldn’t ask for more. 

“What’s his name?” Her dad commented casually, everyone in the table falling silent in less than a second. “What?” He asked, the tension could be cut with a sharpened chainsaw. 

Gigi cleared her throat, fixing her posture on the seat as she looked clearly uncomfortable “Um… It’s a _she,_ dad” She corrected, her voice tiny, avoiding to catch his reaction but still doing so, the millisecond in which his face twisted was like pouring lime and salt on an open wound. “Her name is Crystal. She’s doing a BFA on visual arts with a minor on art history and criticism” 

“Visual arts is a broad career. She must be very smart to handle all that” Mrs. Goode noted, her brothers agreeing, the air already feeling lighter. 

“She really is,” Gigi smiled, feeling a small pressure lifted off her chest, but a big chunk of it staying behind to haunt her through the rest of a week she thought couldn’t get shittier. 

Gigi thought the weekend couldn’t be closer but light years away, as Thursday dawned upon her and still not a lot of texting with Crystal for the last few hours. The only good thing about that day was how her allergies were less intense. She decided to take some time and use the fabric her mom had bought her. Her mind was plagued with disturbing thoughts, recounting and analyzing the events of the past week and essentially the night before took a toll on her concentration and a sharp pain in her finger snapped her out of the deep thoughts. 

“Jesus, Miss Goode, you seriously need to be more careful!” The nurse scolded her less gently this time, analyzing the small but deep cut the side of the sewing machine needle had produced. Gigi just nodded, defeated. Gigi Goode wasn’t scared of anything, but now, she just felt powerless, defenseless. This week beat her ass repeatedly, and now she just wanted to skip to the moment where she was going to see Crystal again. 

And it was like she summoned the presence of her curly headed beauty, a call broke through the silence in the empty room Gigi found herself in, laying down in her bed in the middle of the darkness with an exhausted mind and a body with a few malfunctions. ‘Take on Me’ by aha rang through the room, she groaned as she reached in. 

“Hello?” Gigi answered the phone unenthusiastically, sighing softly. 

_‘Hey pretty girl!’_ Crystal’s voice chirped through the phone and like a defibrillator to a failing heart, Gigi sat up, regaining her energies almost instantly. A smile arose to her face and all her worries and bad memories melted away.

“Hey care bear! What’s up?” She chuckled using the pet name she knew made Crystal blush deeply, glad to hear her so happy, even more than usual. Gigi looked at the time in the corner of the screen. ‘9 PM’ Did she really spend two hours of her valuable time moping and sleeping? 

_‘Guess who smokes a lot of pot, is weirdly obsessed with One Direction, slays ‘I’m like a bird’ in karaoke night and has a spot at the art conference in lacma tomorrow? ME! ME! ME! ME!’_ Crystal practically screamed through the phone and Gigi swore she saw the smile and her weird little celebratory hops as if they were in front of her.

“That’s amazing Crys!” Gigi sighed, a small smile settled on her lips. The line went silent for a second and Gigi cursed Crystal for her ability to read people so easily. 

_‘Are you okay baby Geeg? You sound a little off’_ Crystal said, her voice precautious, the noise in the background fading away quickly, the only noise was the sound of her boots in the gravel.

“I’ve had a horrible week… It’s just a lot of things, and I seriously do not want to bother you with any of them, I know you’re busy right now” Gigi struggled to admit, clearly overwhelmed by her own feelings, something that wasn’t usual for her, at least not in public or with anyone else. She had taught herself how to be anxious to herself and only calm herself down. Not rely on someone else for it. 

_‘Lucky for you, my dear, I am inside my car and I don’t have to give anyone a lift so I’m all yours.’_ Crystal hummed, being completely honest. She only called her when she knew they could have a decent amount of time for whatever type of conversation they needed to have.

Once Gigi opened her mouth, she didn’t stop. She cried, laughed, screamed, did everything she needed to vent her mind off after having probably the worst week of her life. Crystal listened attentively, only giving her opinion when it was necessary and at the end, the comforting words she offered and a promise to meet up the next day for dinner pulled Gigi through the night and finishing her project for the next morning. 

On Friday, things slowly started to piece themselves back together. Her small wounds started healing and bothering her less, her allergies had disappeared with the medicine her mom had sent her, and her dad called her in the early hours of the morning. 

_‘This is still a tough process for me, okay? I’m sure you might have other issues that come with your sexuality rather than me still not comprehending. But I want you to know, even when I don’t understand things, I am proud of you and I will never stop loving you. I trust you on this one. Can’t wait to meet Crystal. Have a great day, kid’_ Were the words that had Gigi all emotional and crying at ungodly hours, where the sun wasn’t still very much out.

Even with the person she got for her project, she managed to pull a more than decent presentation, the teacher congratulating her for a rather stellar job in highlighting both the worst and best aspects of Coco Chanel without making it sound unprofessional and involved in personal opinions in her life outside the fashion emporium. Gigi decided she wasn’t going to let her streak of bad luck affect her anymore. The rest of the day ran smoothly, Nicky and Dahlia expressed their happiness on her well being after she vented off to them; those two always knew and noticed every little thing in anyone they cared about. 

The cherry on top of a great day was when nighttime rolled along, the time after midnight, when Crystal called her for the promised date. Gigi silently pulled herself out of bed, already dressed in a racing bomber jacket she had sown herself with her last name and filled with patches, a high rise black tennis skirt and a white Calvin Klein classic bralette, trying to stay silent while putting on her shoes and practically sneaking out of the place. 

Crystal across the street from the building, looking at her phone as she waited, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Gigi exiting the place quietly. She didn’t even try to look twice before crossing the street, scurrying to get to Crystal’s arms and jump into them, breathing in her comforting scent, already feeling like home. 

“You look… incredibly nuts,” Gigi recognized once they broke away from the long hug. Crystal gave a little twirl, showing her the outfit that it was clear she made. The bell bottom jeans with painted and embroidered flowers, the striped turtleneck on pastel colors, the vest full of buttons and balls with two quirky looking painted animals, the bandana wrapped around her neck with a variety of necklaces and bracelets, topped it all off with 60s white boots, it was all very her in the fanciest way possible, her hair looked regal with silver brooches in them. 

“Thank you, that’s the kind of reaction I like to squeeze out of people! Everyone liked it!” She commented happily as they laced their fingers together, the first thing they always did when they met up. They walked on par to the parking lot, Gigi not really knowing where they were going to, but maintaining her possibilities open. 

“Is this…” Gigi gasped, looking at the place in front of them. Crystal nodded with a smile, hopping out of the car and waiting for her before heading inside the diner Crystal spoke so well of, sitting at her usual booth, the one she sat with her friends whenever they came. Gigi could visualize them there with the anecdotes, the polished Jaida, the optimistic cheerleader Jan, the wise woke queen Jackie, the character Rock was and her artistic beauty Crystal, all having the time of their lives in the well lit place with delicious, cheap food in their plates. And now she found herself there, being able to relate to the anecdotes they told her, 

Gigi considered the horrible week was a way to bring balance to her life, because not everything can be good all the time, the moments happening right now were beyond fascinating, just like the person sitting opposite to her. It could be 1 AM but she felt alive as ever, sitting in the dinner sharing a milkshake with two straws and bacon cheese fries with the girl she fell in love with, nothing going on could interrupt her peace now that she was with Crystal. Another horrible week could go by and if she was by her side, nothing would bother or hurt her. 

“H-hey Geeg?” Crystal asked as they sat in the car once they arrived back to campus. She sounded a little nervous, her voice was squeakier than usual. 

“Yes Crys?” Gigi turned to her innocently as if she didn’t notice the tremble in her voice, noticing the water wrapped around the rim of her vivid eyes, meaning she was getting emotional. 

“Do you wanna be my girlfriend?” Crystal asked, turning to her with hope in her soft expression, the faint sound of ‘20 Something’ by SZA on the car speakers, the soft ballad was Gigi’s favorite and it started to grow on Crystal, too. 

Gigi stared at her for a few seconds, a smirk arose in her lips as she tried to contain her excited giggles. She placed her hand in Crystal’s chin, her fingers squishing her cheeks a little. She pulled her closer to her face, never breaking eye contact, their breathing becoming hotter and heavier by the lack of distance between them “I don’t wanna be your friend, I wanna be your bitch” She whispered, gaining a breathless laugh from Crystal at the girl in red reference before she crashed their lips together in kiss, their cheeks rosy, eyes teary and hearts beating happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they’re finally dating omg!!!!! and hey! a gigi centered chapter! i always showed things surrounding crystal so i decided to shift the dynamic a little bit. fun fact: the burn thing on the wrist happened to me like 6 years ago, while pulling some cupcakes out of the oven, i still have the scar on my right wrist! i wouldn’t imagine myself without it but it was horrible anyways, so i thought i could include a bad personal experience to add a little bit of spice, yk? thank you for reading as always! (psa: next chapter is steamy so don’t say i didn’t warn you)


	7. bad idea!/watch you sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You guys ready for the best night of your lives?” Rock asked before pushing a small door open, finding themselves in a quilted hallway, which guided them towards a smaller door, the guard standing there welcoming them warmly and giving them the number to their table, eyeing the newcomers who exuded anxiety and nerves, the strong bass and muffled music already going seeping into their veins. 
> 
> As they crossed through the door and landed at the top of a set of stairs, Gigi’s mouth went agape as she turned to Crystal, whose smile was bright under the green lights like the Cheshire cat, enjoying the natural reaction to the sight the place offered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi gorg! this is another long one, so buckle up! i gave the warning in the last chapter but i shall issue this warning again so no one feels uncomfortable: there’s smut so filthy things happen. enjoy and read at your own risk!

_Gigi stared at her for a few seconds, a smirk arose in her lips as she tried to contain her excited giggles. She placed her hand in Crystal’s chin, her fingers squishing her cheeks a little. She pulled her closer to her face, never breaking eye contact, their breathing becoming hotter and heavier by the lack of distance between them “I don’t wanna be your friend, I wanna be your bitch” She whispered, gaining a breathless laugh from Crystal at the girl in red reference before she crashed their lips together in kiss, their cheeks rosy, eyes teary and hearts beating happily._

Halloween. In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it. In _Gay_ World, however, it was the one night a year where everyone could fulfill their fantasies in which they spent probably 3 months fabricating, get drunk, be gay while having the time of their lives without any repercussions. Gays simply had more fun on Halloween because nobody cared, it was another gay holiday. And Crystal Methyd wasn’t an exception. 

“I’m going to be the one to say it” Jaida said, her eyes fixated on the dress popping out of the rack as she slipped in a pair of platform sneakers “You seriously out do yourself every single year” She turned back to her friend, watching her apply dark purple lipstick and layer it with her beloved glitter to them add a bandaid in the bridge of her nose and her chin. 

As part of their annual tradition, they all got together and got ready in Crystal’s dorm room, having a little pregame, eating snacks and smoking weed. They were cramped up in the space but happy nevertheless, distributed around the place doing their hair and makeup before changing. Usually they took turns to the bathroom or changed on the corner next to the bathroom door, always pending of the other’s needs in case anyone needed help. 

“You know that she loves to outshine us” Jackie rolled her eyes playfully and laughed as the shiny golden fabric of her costume reflected onto the lights. She helped Jan with her own costume while Rock exited the bathroom, calling out for help on the zipper, which Crystal helped her out immediately, while she fixed the large bow pulling back her freshly dyed blue hair they had so much trouble working on through the afternoon. 

“Okay let’s go” Crystal said after zipping up the pair of knee height black boots, Jaida stopping to record her vlog for her instagram stories to turn the camera to her while everyone laughed, confused. 

“Chile you’re only wearing underwear and boots, what are you this year, a stripper?” Jaida laughed as Crystal posed and blew kisses at her phone. 

“Um, of course! like a wise poet once said: I am of the bitches, for the bitches” Crystal said in all seriousness, quoting her friend before they laughed as she shook her head “I’m kidding. Can you pass me that, Jan?” 

The girl nodded rapidly, grabbing the garment from the hanger, zipping it open and helping Crystal wear it, carefully zipping it back up to not deconstruct the fabric even more while the others argued on who was going to have the designed purses so everyone didn’t have to carry their things. 

“Oh my god. I literally can’t. I CAN’T” Jan squealed as Crystal grabbed the brown hat and placed it titled on her head, winking. “This Freddie Krueger _jantasy_ is too much” Crystal whined in response and fanned her eyes, trying not to cry by the strong excitement she felt about her costume this year; it took her long to work on but it definitely paid off.

“Next year we’re just going to leave Crystal behind because she always looks better than all of us combined” Rock decided for the group, obviously joking. Crystal would kill them if they decided to do something like that anyways. Halloween was her day. Hell, she celebrated it more than she celebrated her own birthday; the joy the celebration brought her was something else. 

Crystal grabbed the bedazzled pumpkin trick or treating bag and tossed what she needed for the night there. “Let’s get going, lesbians! It’s Halloween!!” She howled, rushing out the door, the group following her with hollers, screams and cheers. 

Gigi Goode loved Halloween. But her experiences in college haven't been the best. She was sure that night was going to change the issue, but damn she couldn’t wait to get out of that frat party. She loved Dahlia with her whole heart but this scenery she insisted on attending first was not it, aside she had to change there since she lost a dare and had to dress in a green dress with layered tulle in the top part, resembling a _‘Haute couture broccoli’_ , which was completely ridiculous but men apparently appreciated it. Both Gigi and Nicky sat on a torn down couch, trying to maintain their costumes pristine, waiting for the time either of their partners announced they were outside to pick them up. Gigi joyfully received pictures of her beloved dachshund, Nancy, in her pumpkin dress but still spent most of the time observing Jaida’s story and wishing they were there, and Nicky gave her a look to confirm she wished the exact same. 

**[ Crissy Bear: babe, i would love to go in to pick you up but the place looks like a rave, we’re outside! ]**

“Let’s go!” She hopped off the couch, dragging Nicky up, both fixing their costumes. 

Dahlia approached them with drinks and understood the situation immediately “We’re leaving?” She groaned, rolling her eyes. It was her idea they hit a party before the club, but it was evident she was the only one having fun. 

“Look hun, if you want to stay, you’re staying but we’re leaving with our girlfriends” Nicky practically snapped with a thick french accent. She was clearly as bored as Gigi was and didn’t spend a week spray painting and bedazzling a whole football player's gear to wear with an Euphoria inspired makeup that took way too long to sit on a stinky couch for the rest of the night. 

“Guys, are we sure we want to do this?” Dahlia asked them, in all seriousness. The young girl was an adventurer until she was placed somewhere else she didn’t know. Her wildness was showcased around places she didn’t know but were somehow familiar. 

“C’mon Dahlia, this isn’t the time to be doubting ourselves…” Gigi sighed “We won’t know until we try. If we don’t like it, I promise you we can leave much earlier, okay?” 

“Fine” She sighed, giving in, noticing the smiles that popped up in their friends’ faces. Gigi grabbed them by the wrists and dragged them through the bodies around, gasping for fresh air once they were out. She scanned the perimeter, her eyes landing on the four ladies chatting happily. Gigi identified their characters going down the line: Jackie dressed as a golden goddess that resembled disco Cher in the _Take me home_ era, Jan as a referee with an outfit made of literal soccer balls, something that Gigi found impressive, Jaida as a glittery sexy basketball player complementing Nicky’s sexy football player, Rock as Alice from Alice in Wonderland but when her eyes landed on Crystal it was something else. 

“Oh my god” Gigi gasped, drawing their attention, her heels clicking on the pavement as they approached the group, her friends following close behind. “You look so good! Did you make this?” She gushed about Crystal’s look, touching the different fabrics joined in patches by security pins. 

“It’s so _Met Gala_ worthy, it’s incredible,” Nicky said, giving the outfit a good look, standing by Jaida’s side. The garment was longer on one side and shorter on the other, making it seem more of a sexy Freddie Krueger type of outfit that women would wear but so much better and elevated. It was runway worthy. 

Crystal looked at Gigi, smiling proudly to herself “Thank you, thank you” She said, tipping her head while her cheeks heat up from the compliments. “Hi homo” She laughed, leaning down to give her girlfriend a soft kiss, which she reciprocated happily, placing her hands on her clothed forearms. They didn’t plan a couple’s costume, but were wearing the same color scheme: red. Gigi’s dark red tartan set was incredibly well made, representing the main heather, Chandler, from the movie Heathers, one of her all time favorites. 

“We should get going. The ball starts at 11 PM” Jan reminded the group, the newcomers looking confused at the term “Oh it’s a Halloween Ball. It’s like a party but… fancier and more fun. And you don’t need to bring a lid for your drink” The three girls nodded to themselves, looking at each other with anxious expressions. This was definitely not their usual activity on Halloween. But it felt good to rule out the possibility of being harmed. 

“Little Crissy here has won the costume contest for 2 years in a row” Jackie said as a matter of factly, as they started to walk towards the car, Crystal throwing her hair aside with a cocky smile, the curls bouncing as they strutted down the empty, decorated halls. The group had been sneaking to bars since they were eighteen, arguing that they were allowed to drink everywhere else in the world and that waiting for 4 more years to live their fullest was foolish. Rock mostly implemented those ideas to their heads, convincing them ever since they met of her rather rational but wild beliefs. 

“Wait but… Oh my god you guys have fake IDs too?” Dahlia joined the dots, taking out her own. They all nodded, pulling out their false identification cards. 

“Aside from that, I have a friend who works there so we became regulars and they just let us in” Rock shrugged, stuffing her ID back inside her bra. Soon they arrived at the poorly lit parking lot, Jackie explaining the boundaries and rules when visiting a gay bar, things that people with common decency wouldn’t even think of doing but they’ve seen incidents along the years and it was better to prevent anything. Crystal shuffled around the plastic sphere that was her purse for the night, trying to reach for the car keys while the group observed the place; less cars than usual, a lot of people fled campus to parties somewhere else, truth be told, frat or dorm parties weren’t the best for an occasion like Halloween. 

Crystal hopped on the driver’s seat, no one in the group dared to fight Gigi for the front seat, like they usually did with each other when hanging out as per usual, Jackie, Jan and Rock sat in the backseat while Nicky, Jaida and Dahlia sat in the trunk, which was surprisingly comfortable. 

“I feel like I’m going to meet God soon” Dahlia whined, holding onto the seat in front. Aside from Nicky and herself, no one was fazed by Crystal’s driving; it was like she was at a drag race. She knew how to drive in the most edgy way possible, barely even watching the road at times and taking her hand off the steering wheel and doing hand movements to match the energy of the song that was playing. Her friends and partner were completely used to it at that point, they sang along to the music playing like it was nothing, in the process some of the girls in the car found out how good of a singer Jan was. Gigi looked over at her absolutely enamored as they zoomed recklessly through the streets, Crystal’s free hand resting on her bare thigh, the intentions a little bit nefarious but remained respectful of her and their friends who were also in the car. 

“Just relax, sis,” Jaida told her while looking at her freshly painted nails, barely even budging at a violent turn. “If you keep looking at the road you’ll see how terrible this bitch drives in a rush” She sighed as Nicky gripped onto her, a little less panicked after taking her girlfriend’s recommendation. 

“This is the least you can expect when you get in a car and a raging lesbian is the driver” Crystal joked, doing a violent swerve to surpass someone who, in her opinion, was going too slow. “Oopsies” She giggled, this time receiving complaints from everyone. 

Soon they arrived, Crystal pulling up to a gate, the guard recognizing her and letting her in; Rock called her friend earlier and as per usual, she let them use her second spot at the workers’ parking lot. They hopped off and walked to the second entrance. 

“You guys ready for the best night of your lives?” Rock asked before pushing a small door open, finding themselves in a quilted hallway, which guided them towards a smaller door, the guard standing there welcoming them warmly and giving them the number to their table, eyeing the fresh faces who exuded anxiety and nerves, the strong bass and muffled music already going seeping into their veins. On top of the wider door it read in a pink neon sign _‘No snitches but a lot of bad bitches!’_

As they crossed through the door and landed at the top of a set of stairs, Gigi’s mouth went agape as she turned to Crystal, whose smile was bright under the green lights like the Cheshire cat enjoying the natural reaction to the sight the place offered. 

_Himeros_ looked like the underground club you would see only in movies; the ambiance was electrifying and packed of adrenaline, even though the room was dark, it felt safe. It had two regal set of stairs coming from the entrances leading down to the floor, the only lights were the UV in the dance floor, the various neon light signs, dim rustic light bulbs hung on top of the tables, couches and highlighting a poster of the cover art of the _G.U.Y_ music video, signed by the woman herself and the bar was large. Everyone looked friendly and fun, their costume looked well thought out, spotless, Gigi could even make out a lot of similar faces. Aside from the fact it was inspired by the Lady Gaga song, the place was a love letter to the entirety of _Artpop._ It looked magical. Rock was the first one to rush down the stairs after she considered the newcomers had enough time to savor their surroundings, the group following her towards their table, ready to dance the night away.

“Hey Brita!” Crystal smiled at the familiar face, who looked thrilled to see her. Rock’s friend, Brita, was the only reason they were allowed in from such a young age, as she worked as part time as a bartender, because she ‘liked to be in the middle of the action’, was co-owner of the place and owed Rock several favors throughout the years, but she was more than happy to bring more clientele to the club. 

“Hey mama! You seriously are going to snatch the 1st place this year too, huh?” She looked at Crystal, who spun around in her garment, chest puffed proud like a peacock “What can I do for you guys?” She looked at Rock, who wasn’t surprised to see her as they saw each other often, Brita being a family friend and partner of Rock’s family in small, but successful businesses. 

“Let’s get two rounds of _Fireball_ shots to get started, right?” Rock consulted with her friend, who nodded. Brita nodded and at the blink of an eye they were heading back to the table, bringing with them the tiny glasses full of strong cinnamon liquor. 

“ _Salamanti_ babes!” Jackie said cheerfully, Halloween being one of the few nights she didn’t play mother of the group and let loose, as they clinked their glasses together, the word was echoing between them before they all downed the bronze liquid, which burned down their throats but was somehow still delicious. 

After the second shot, two cranberry vodkas, a bright yellow drink and hours dancing and singing, the next thing Crystal found herself vividly experiencing was going inside the empty bathroom with Gigi, sharing heated, sloppy kisses as they giggled in between them, drunk as fuck. Her feet were hurting but she could barely feel it, the adrenaline and alcohol clouding her senses; all she felt was their lips together as they made out hungrily and the loud thumping of her heart. Gigi threw the hat off Crystal’s head and placed somewhere else, not wanting it to disturb them as she hopped onto the marble sink, Crystal observing her as she did so. 

“You look so pretty with that skirt” Crystal gushed, her eyes running through her slim porcelain legs that seemed to go on forever, covered by knee high socks and the skirt that reached more than a few inches above the knee area. The bathroom was lit by red lights, inciting even more for dirty things to happen inside. 

“Hmm yeah?” Gigi extended her leg and hooked Crystal back in close to her, her body resting in the space between her opened legs “What’s underneath looks prettier” She whispered before licking her neck, bringing shivers down her girlfriend’s spine. Gigi had warned Crystal whenever she drank a lot she either turned stupid or horny, and it looks like the last option was more likely for them that night, taking into account the first party they went together Gigi acted stupid. 

Their lips crashed into each other once more, this time a little more coordinated, their hormones taking away a little bit of the effects of alcohol. Gigi held tightly onto Crystal’s neck while Crystal had her hands placed on her thighs over the skirt, not wanting to overstep on their boundaries that night. The kiss turned deeper, their tongues exploring each other’s mouth as the door busted wide open “GET OUT” Gigi practically screeched at the stranger, jumping off the sink and putting Crystal behind her at an incredible speed, soon noticing it was Jaida “CUT THE CAMERAS. DEADASS” She went ahead and shut the door in her face, hearing her muffled exclamations through the door. She turned to Crystal and just laughed loudly with her, pulling her in for a hug as they stumbled around for a little bit, sharing a quick peck, fixing their outfits and leaving the room holding hands, knowing that wasn’t the end of their experience. 

“Hey babe!” Gigi spoke once she answered the phone, walking through the entrance to campus. She was out looking for some fabrics with her mom, who took them home to work on later in the studio. They officially had been dating for a month and a few days, both couldn’t be happier with each other and planning ahead for a future together just seemed right… no one questioned or doubted it, everyone could see the type of connection they held. Gigi’s mom, who was the only one of her family who had the opportunity to meet such a character, adored her, mostly for bringing such happiness into her daughter’s life. 

_“Hi bub… It’s cold outside, would you like to come over? We can watch a movie”_ Crystal proposed, chewing on her bottom lip, looking up at the ceiling and hoping her cheap excuse would be of use. The day had been very unproductive due to only having two classes with the last one of the day canceled, so she took it as an opportunity to talk to her parents about her upcoming trip back to Springfield for Thanksgiving. Last year she went home for Christmas, as they alternated the holiday she came home to visit, because she was always home on summer vacations. They were excited to hear she finally was in a relationship, but the nerves were eating away Crystal’s stomach at the idea of them not liking the idea of her having a precious girlfriend or their strong opinions that might ruin Crystal’s sanity.

“Sounds great baby! I’ll be there right away” Gigi said, grabbing the hint right away, knowing they were going to do everything but watch a movie, getting mentally ready to finish what they started during Halloween, her chest fluttering with excitement and nervousness.

Crystal welcomed Gigi with a kiss that was longer than it was appropriate for a welcome, setting her intentions straight almost right away, showing her into the dorm for the first time, the green eyed couldn’t be more surprised about her surroundings. The red lighting, photos, paintings, posters and recognitions on the walls, the glow in the dark stars, the fairy lights on the desk, the exposed rack full of crazy clothing, the turntable, the somehow organized desk, the empty bed Crystal apparently used as a makeshift vanity and place to leave her art supplies, everything just made sense. The dorm was so different than she imagined, Jaida’s instagram stories didn’t catch its essence, and Gigi felt a little disappointed she couldn’t have that much creative freedom back in the sorority house. 

“Want me to get you some comfortable clothes?” Crystal asked, eyeing Gigi in her rather fancy attire. Crystal was just wearing some oversized low rise pajama shorts, Sanrio characters scattered all over as the print was designed and a cropped white shirt. 

“I don’t think it’s going to be necessary now” Gigi didn’t waste any time once she was done setting her things aside. She pulled Crystal into a kiss, it turned steamier by the second, both needy for each other. “I love your music selection” Gigi commented breathlessly, laughing weakly at _‘Rock Me’_ by One Direction playing in the small speaker Crystal forgot to give Jan back. Gigi kicked off her shoes and socks, Crystal managing her way to slide off her skirt, enjoying how the fabric slipped down effortlessly and pooled at the floor, leaving her silky legs exposed. 

“Oh shut up” Crystal laughed and led Gigi down to the bed, carefully laying down next to her for them to connect their lips once again, Crystal’s tongue licking Gigi’s bottom lip, as if asking for permission. They just kissed for a while, enjoying each other and testing the waters, as a way of getting used to the bubbly feeling coming with the warmth and wetness settling in their underwear, subconsciously grinding from time to time very carefully against each other. Gigi took the first step and her hands traveled under Crystal’s shirt, feeling the warm skin under it. 

Crystal broke away. “Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t want to do something you could regret” She stared at her warmly, her hand caressing her cheek softly. They had discussed the heated topic before, Crystal finding out Gigi was a virgin. She wanted to respect her wishes against her own and look out for her, leaving her hormones to rest and calm down on the side just to preserve her wellbeing. 

Gigi nodded. “I’m one thousand percent sure. If I want to do this with anyone, it is with you, Crystal Elizabeth. Okay?” With the right person the timing, no matter what it was, felt right. And Gigi swore and lived by that. 

“Okay” She sighed, leaning in to give her girlfriend a peck “Please tell me if I’m overstepping, alright?” She smiled before getting on top of her. 

Gigi nodded, finding her worries on consent so hot, before her eyes closed as she sighed in pleasure, feeling Crystal’s lips kiss down her neck, the kisses started out soft only to become tougher and harder, her porcelain skin changing to tones of red and purple, while soft moans filled the room along with the tunes serving as background music. 

“Can I?” Gigi asked shyly, playing with the hem of her shirt. Crystal raised her arms, giving her permission to take it off, a sigh escaping her lips when Gigi’s lips kissed her shoulder, slipping off her bra very slowly. 

“You have nipple piercings?” Gigi asked with wide eyes, surprised as the garment was discarded. Her mouth watered at the perfect sight in front of her, the feeling in her tummy was indescribable. 

“Hot, right?” Crystal winked at her, making Gigi’s lower stomach feel all warm, making her wonder if she already had an orgasm with just that action. She connected her lips once again but in her jaw this time, her hands fumbling with the buttons of the shirt Gigi was wearing, almost ripping it off once it was done, smirking to herself once she noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra, not like she needed it, she gave model-esque perfection with A cup tits. 

Crystal’s hand traveled down Gigi’s abdomen as she kissed along her collarbone and chest, her hand sneaking in her panties. _‘Like a Virgin’_ by Madonna was playing, making Gigi smile internally, the song was more than fitting even though she was technically a virgin. She had masturbated plenty of times like every other women but before discovering and accepting her sexuality, she never did anything with men, the thought of it was repulsive and made her pussy drier than the Sahara desert, and once she discovered what she felt, she never really gathered the courage to do anything about it but it’s not like she felt comfortable rushing into it. Crystal, however, the little heathen did a lot of now meaningless things back in Missouri and Los Angeles thus gaining practice and knowledge, because everything her parents or friends told her not to do, she did it without a fail, sometimes suffering consequences and sometimes not, everything became a funny story at the end. 

“Is this okay?” Crystal whispered, breaking away as she rubbed her clit with her thumb, removing the thin piece underwear and throwing it aside. Gigi couldn’t even respond properly as her eyes fluttered in pleasure, a moan left her lips and just nodded, her cheeks tinting in a warm red. 

Crystal was soft and delicate until she felt she got used to the sensation, not wanting to hurt her in any way. She sped up once Gigi’s hips moved looking for more friction, but she still felt something else was missing. “F-fuck Crystal, more” Gigi whined, feeling her lips leave her collarbone as she looked up maliciously. 

“What’d you said, baby girl? I couldn’t hear you” A rather evil smile curled as she hummed, looking at her with fake innocence. 

Gigi’s legs trembled **‘Fuck. She’s going to make me beg for it’** finding even more arousal at the situation “Please, babe, please give me more” Gigi said louder, her bottom lip pouting slightly, a hint of embarrassment settled in her chest by that but the feeling vanished quickly because before she could process anything, Crystal crashed her lips with hers before slowly introducing one finger inside, a nasty moan leaving the back of Gigi’s throat in the middle of the kiss, which only encouraged Crystal to speed up. 

Gigi buckled her hips to give her a better angle. “So good to me” Crystal praised before adding another finger, working her magic to make Gigi, who was struggling to kiss back, feel good. Gigi knew Crystal was experienced but she didn’t know she was that good. The music was just complimenting the scene more, Crystal’s hand sped up as Gigi’s moans turned louder and desperate, knowing she was close. 

“Ugh! Crystal! Fuck!” Gigi whimpered, her back arching and legs shaking as she rode her high, a small particular sound, resembling a low squeak, leaving her mouth as she came, making Crystal even more horny if it was possible. Crystal removed her fingers once she felt her relax and licked everything from them, never breaking eye contact with her lover. “That was… wow” Gigi sighed, closing her eyes and kissing her girlfriend’s jaw. 

“I want to make you feel good too” She mumbled after a while of silence, twirling one of Crystal’s curls in her finger while her partner caressed her side generously, where a tattoo she got done two weeks ago was printed. _‘All night’_ by Beyoncé started playing as they stared into each other’s eyes, their eyes twinkling in pure happiness. Gigi never thought sex with women would be such a heavenly experience and once more regretted the fact she didn’t meet Crystal before; Crystal was different than any other woman, and she was sure of that, no one else could be so attentive and perfect to her. 

Her partner’s expression softened as her index finger drew small circles in around her rib cage area. “Bub, you seriously don’t have to. We’ve done enough already, this is only your first time with me” Crystal was sometimes too good for her own good, she usually only thought in the others, not in her. 

“But I really want to,” Gigi pleaded, looking at her with puppy eyes “Please?” Crystal caved in and nodded, sighing. Gigi asked Crystal to get up as she sat up, confusing her counterpart a little, until she pulled her back down by the waistband of her shorts, getting rid of them and her underwear soon. Crystal soon connected the dots and blushed as Gigi kissed her neck softly and lowered her down in her thigh. Her breathing became heavier once more as she leaned her head back, her fingers digging in the perfectly bleached strands of hair and pulling slightly, gaining a small groan in response. 

“I’m sure you know more about this than I do” Gigi chuckled nervously, looking up at her with lust and love in her eyes “I’m just going to help you out a little, okay?” She hummed before attaching her lips to one of her nipples, massaging the other with her hand, happy to check her theory that the piercings made her more sensitive. Crystal closed her eyes shut as she rode Gigi’s thigh, the feeling was otherworldly, the position was something she only dreamt of getting off on. 

“Mhm! That’s it, baby doll!” Crystal moaned, speeding the movement of her hips even more. Gigi bit softly her nipples, before she started kissing down her neck and shoulders, marking the golden skin this time, her hands gripping her hips, helping her rock her hips even faster as Crystal approached her own orgasm. “Fuck Geeg, I love you!” 

Once Crystal had gone down from her high, she stared at Gigi with wide eyes as she had a similar expression, the realization dawning upon them; they had never said that to each other. “Ugh I love you too!” Gigi squealed, tackling her down to lay back down on the bed, both laughing hysterically before sharing a loving kiss, their clothes spilled around the room but they didn’t care; they were happy and that mess was the last thing in their priorities. 

“How are you so beautiful?” Gigi sighed, massaging a product into Crystal’s head as she laughed softly, the movement tickling her. They sat in the bathtub, sharing a joint, the once hot water slowly turning cold while the steam didn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. They sat there, just relaxing and cleaning each other up. 

“Says the one that looks like a renaissance painting” Crystal chuckled, taking a puff before closing her eyes, feeling the relaxation the drug brought along with Gigi combing her fingers through her wet hair, who took the joint from Crystal’s mouth with her free hand. 

Before Gigi could reply, her phone rang loudly, overpowering through the sound of _‘True Blue’_ by Madonna. She set the lit joint down on the clay ashtray Crystal made herself, being careful to not turn it off before taking the device, Nicky’s contact coming up on a call. 

“Hello?” Gigi hummed, gently combing through Crystal’s hair while her girlfriend closed her eyes, enjoying it. 

_"Bitch, where the fuck are you? It’s past midnight and you never came to the party!"_ Nicky spoke loudly, concerned, music playing in the distance and another voice Gigi recognized as Jaida’s was nearby. Honest to God, Gigi had forgotten they even had a fall party to attend. The plans she had instead were better, anyways.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m with Crys. Talk to you in the morning, okay?” She giggled softly, leaning down to give her girlfriend a small peck. 

_“WAIT A DAMN MINUTE DID YOU—“_ Before Nicky could say further, Gigi hung up, chuckling softly. Before they could say anything, both their phones started blowing up.

“Who was it?” Crystal looked up at her with red puppy eyes, making her girlfriend smile. 

“Nicky. She wanted to know about where I was and whatnot. I’m staying over tonight, is that okay, care bear?” 

“It’s more than okay. That’s just the cherry on top for a wonderful and perfect night with my wonderful and perfect girlfriend” Crystal sighed, cupping Gigi’s cheek and leaning in for a soft kiss. So there they stayed, high in pot and love, taking care of each other. 

**no snitches, only bad bitches**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: I would like to issue a public congratulations to our little Gigi Goode for saying goodbye to the social construct virginity is, she’s all grown up now ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: NIKOLE NO STFU ]_  
_[ Camp Counselor: what happened to the no snitches part of this group chat huh?! ]_

**[ Pepe Le Pew: Dahlia was going to tell them anyways when you got here in the morning walking funny ]**

**[ Fierce Broccoli: Tbh, I can’t argue against that, it’s true. I would so tell everyone if I found out first ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: don’t worry gigi, i’ll bake you a no virgin cake ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: honestly that sounds yummy. can it be red velvet? ]_

**[ Dwayne Johnson: you got it, miss goode. it’ll be so good, you’ll bust a nut ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Rock you're seriously outta pocket ]**

**[ Lady Bird: bruv just say she’ll like it ]**

_Fierce Broccoli and 5 others reacted “HAHA” at Lady Bird’s message_

**[ Daddy Cox: Crystal you little devil, the only thing you do is cry, party, play and corrupt people ]**

**[ Lady Bird: you forgot ‘wait for the one direction reunion’, it’s probably my main purpose in life rn ]**

**[ Fierce Broccoli: stream goode girl gone bad, rihanna’s new album, or perish ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: wait, rihanna released the new album already?????]**

**[ The Backpack: Damn Rock, our plans got ruined like gigi's underwear tonight ]**

**[ Lady Bird: stfu jan, you got named after a brand by accident ]**

**[ The Backpack: Again, remind me why did I tell you that? ]**

**[ Lady Bird: bc you luuuuuuv me, miss backpack ]**

****[ Confusia the 3rd: Hold up, what plans exactly? ]** **

****[ Daddy Cox: What are you going to do this time? Intervene? ]** **

****[ Dwayne Johnson: oh you know, sneak into rihanna’s home and demand the new album, maybe resort to borrowing it if doesn’t go according to plan ]** **

****[ The Backpack: Idc if I go to jail for it, I know that album is going to be glorious and we’ve been waiting too long for it. The world needs it for eternal salvation ]** **

****[ Pepe Le Pew: So you’re telling me Rihanna’s new album is going to bring the rapture? ]** **

****[ Fierce Broccoli: The woman has walked a red carpet in a dress made out of Swarovski crystals and nothing else, what else do you expect from her? ]** **

****[ Dwayne Johnson: just don’t question it and embrace the power of our lord and savior robyn ]** **

Gigi turned off her phone and set it aside after rereading the conversation from their joint group chat, unable to sleep recounting the events of the night, hoping it wasn’t all just a dream. She closed her eyes and inhaled the soft linen and lavender scent the oversized graphic tee had. She opened her eyes back up and listened to Crystal’s soft and steady breathing, watching her rest under the dim light the glow in the dark stars and fairy lights on the desk provided. She sighed and curled up to her, feeling an arm being thrown around her body, reeling her in closer. Once again, Gigi thanked whoever was listening to her for sending Crystal her way. And she hoped this wasn’t the last time she was going to be able to watch Crystal sleep by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i honestly have to admit i’m a sucker for halloween too, but so far i haven’t had the best experiences, hopefully this year it will be better since i will be in my room by myself most probably and i’ll do some crazy makeup just for me and nobody else. i literally have SO much fun writing the group chat scenes, the energy is just so perfect and i’m so glad to know you guys enjoy it as much as i do! this was filthy but i had to add a lil bit of softness at the end tone it down and cleanse the energies. once again, thank you for reading! i think the next chapter may or may not take longer but we’ll see!! xx


	8. i need to be alone.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two hours without texting Crystal was torture. Gigi wanted to grab that phone and call her but her stubbornness got the best of her and she just stared at the phone, as if manifesting a text from her girlfriend, only to fail miserably. 
> 
> Two days without texting Crystal was weird. She was angry but still loved her. Gigi wished for a text, only to face the reality that nothing was coming, and she should give her partner some space, enjoy her own family time like Crystal was probably doing. 
> 
> Truth was, Crystal wasn’t. She didn’t want to speak to anyone at all to search inner peace, to pull something from the deepest parts of her mind to pull her through the festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi! this chapter is a little angsty and deals with rather strong opinions (? let’s say it that way i guess) if this is triggering for you, please refrain from reading. stay sane and healthy!

_Once again, Gigi thanked whoever was listening to her for sending Crystal her way. And she hoped this wasn’t the last time she was going to be able to watch Crystal sleep by her side._

As Crystal walked out of the airport check in lines, she was stuck in her own head, mostly regretting the desperate decision of drinking coffee in the plane, since it tasted terrible and the aftertaste should be illegal. She didn’t want to let go of her girlfriend and to go back to her hometown which she found herself subconsciously dreading so much. 

**[ geeg in red: baby, text me once you get there. i miss you already :( ]**

Crystal saw the notification and typed out a quick response. **[ Crissy Bear: just got off check in. i miss you too bby ]** At least she wasn’t mad at her. They had a little discussion two days ago, Gigi wanted to come to Springfield with her, but Crystal thought it was too soon and she didn’t want her parents to scare her off. Somehow she still found herself missing her house, her brother, her cat and her friends the most but her parents could sometimes be very overwhelming without awareness they were being so. It didn’t happen often but when it did, it was a hard blow to take. Her phone vibrated but all her anxieties and doubts she didn’t realize that and a familiar face was waiting for her at the door. 

“Crystal!” A heavy, thick and sweet like honey accent rang through her ears before being tackled into a tight embrace. 

“Hey Heidi!” She beamed, hugging back her dear friend. Heidi was the sweetest person anyone could ever have the grace of meeting, and restored her faith in humanity every time they spoke, either on the phone or in person. No matter who came after her, she always remained calm and respectful while ending careers. She defended Crystal a lot in high school when people overstepped her boundaries when it came to anxiety, self doubt and her sexuality and didn’t respect her usual shyness. 

“Oh you look so great! That girlfriend of yours is keeping you soft and supple in my absence” She commented, the whistle produced by the accented ‘s’ making Crystal laugh, helping her with her small suitcase, dragging it towards the car. 

“Um, Heidi, we saw each other three months ago” Crystal’s smile widened. She did miss those little quips her friends had. Back in LA, her friends did the same, but they were more frequent, since frankly they were all just fucking crazy most of the time. 

“Hey bitch!” A voice called as the passenger door of the car opened, while Heidi placed the luggage on the trunk. Crystal’s smile turned wider. 

“Hey hoe!” Crystal chuckled, knowing her friend won’t take their banter seriously, hopping in the seat, Widow messing up her curls even more, making her sink in the seat trying to get away. Widow was like her big sister, always finding an argument or a reason to bother her, but still supported her and defended her no matter what. 

“We already told your parents you’re coming with us for dinner, we’re going to pick up Aiden and we’ll get going!” Widow explained, the quiet, dark haired girl with an edgy fashionable aesthetic popped into her head as Heidi got in the car and off they went through the streets of Springfield. 

**[ geeg in red: how was your flight my love? ]**  
**[ geeg in red: babe?? ]**  
**[ geeg in red: crystal??? ]**  
**[ geeg in red: are you seriously ignoring me, elizabeth???? ]**  
**[ geeg in red: ugh fine ]**

Gigi’s face lit up in fifty different shades of red while she puffed her cheeks angrily, the way she threw her phone in her bag could possibly punch a hole through it. She was already a tad fired up from the fact Crystal didn’t want her to meet her parents and now she was seemingly ignoring her messages for long hours. As they returned to their place after dropping off Dahlia, who was heading to New York for the festivity, at the airport, Nicky turned to look at her as she walked with loud, heavy steps, her shoes clicking obnoxiously down the empty hall, brows furrowed in a frown. 

_“Bébé,_ what’s wrong?” Nicky stopped walking, taking her wrist to stop her from doing so as well, almost pulling her down to the floor by the abrupt stop. Gigi avoided to look at her and just looked up, her lip pouting downwards as she bounced her foot impatiently, debating if her concerns were even valid. It looked like a child was pulling a tantrum and Nicky was glad no one else was around to watch.

“Crystal won’t answer my texts since yesterday” Gigi whined, taking off her sunglasses in anger, her eyes rolling in annoyance. Anger, annoyance and anxiety were a dangerous combination that brought out the absolute worst in her. Nicky sighed in response and pushed a strand of blonde hair back, merging with black strands on the bottom half of her scalp, trying to gather her thoughts as they resumed their way back, Gigi’s phone soon vibrated, both stopping in their tracks quickly. 

**[ Crissy Bear: i need to be alone. ]**

“What the fuck does that mean?” Nicky blurted out, reading behind Gigi’s shoulder. The text was straight to the point, but still remained cryptic. “I mean I get the intention but… that still doesn’t help anything at all” 

“It’s fucking useless, that’s what it means” Gigi huffed, throwing her phone back in her purse, the items inside ringing loud as she did. They continued their way back to the room in silence, not a word to be told between them. 

Two hours without texting Crystal was torture. Gigi wanted to grab that phone and call her, demanding to talk to her, but her stubbornness got the best of her and she just stared at the phone, as if manifesting a text from her girlfriend, only to fail miserably. 

Two days without texting Crystal was weird. It was out of her routine. She was angry but still loved her with her whole body and mind. Deep inside her, Gigi wished for a text, only to face the reality that nothing was coming, and she should give her partner some space, enjoy her own family time like Crystal was probably doing. 

Truth was, Crystal wasn’t. She didn’t want to speak to anyone at all to search inner peace, to pull something from the deepest parts of her mind to pull her through the festivities. She loved her parents, she really did, but God placed her in the most of conservative environments and said: “Make it enough, work it out and deal with it”. Their intention was never to hurt her, but the accidental comments that slipped out were triggering and exasperating, and she stopped getting used to them once college started, each one surprising her like a sudden slap in the face. Her brother always came to her defense but sometimes they just didn’t understand what was wrong about what they said. 

So she hid from the world in her old bedroom whenever her friends weren’t available, looking for ways to just stay in and smuggle her adored chunky cat, Tic Tac, back to campus to stay with her, because that she missed. Crystal needed Gigi, but all she thought about was how mad she could get if she just came at her with her problems and interrupted her precious family time in the holiday. She tempted to text her and just let it all out, but something pulled her back, the angriness of the last texts and the toughness of the _(read tue)_ was chilling through her bones. And she knew she had screwed up a little, but didn’t find any strength to make things better. 

Crystal pulled herself through organizing dinner for Thanksgiving with her family, who were suddenly aware of what they were saying around her. It was nice to see them try at least. Thanksgiving dinner was full of people trying too. She stayed positive, glad they did. She found her safe place with her brother, sitting with her _tías_ and listening to their evil gossip and even contributing some herself from what her friends had told her about the people they all knew around the town. But good things don’t last around there apparently.

“I’m telling you, president Trump is the best thing to happen to this country” Crystal heard, her mind going numb at the mention of such an evil human being, not identifying if the voice came from her father or her uncle. “He’s keeping all the queers, thugs and immigrants in line and bringing God into the conversation, he’s all we need” The table felt silent in less than a second, everyone whipped their heads to look at the lesbian redhead, who blinked a few times, assimilating what she just heard. Some people just stared in awe, waiting for her response, while others were waiting for her to respond but were visibly angry as well. 

“Crystal…” She heard her brother start, but the ringing in her ears was louder than any noise, even the one of her own pounding heartbeat hammering in her chest and traveling through her ears. 

“My mom, her mom, all her family here either are or come from immigrants! Black people are not thugs and are being murdered on the streets for no fucking reason and guess what? Their killers don’t get charged. Your beloved president is making things worse! I don’t care about unemployment rates and how much money you have when I have to be scared for my friends’ lives every single day and more when people are dying unfairly due to his bigotry and racism!” She pushed herself out the chair, venom in her voice. 

“You know, you should consider the danger I’m in every single day under his administration and at least pretend you respect who I am when I’m here” Crystal felt the hot, angry tears burn the rim of her eyes as she grabbed her phone and cardigan on the entrance as she stormed away into the cold Missouri streets, ignoring the calls for her name and the argument that just broke back inside the home. 

Gigi happily helped around the house as the same day preparations for Thanksgiving started. She decided to push the thought of Crystal away when she was at home, deciding to give herself a break and focus on what was important at the moment; her family. But the universe had other plans for her as notification popped up on the home screen, covering the view of her wallpaper: it was a picture in which Gigi was on top of Crystal as she laid down on the bed, both of them only wearing bralettes and pajama pants, Gigi doing her girlfriend’s makeup, who had a smug smile on her face. They both held that recent memory so dearly to their hearts, it was a great night with their friends all crammed up in Crystal’s dorm, the cake Rock promised was incredibly delicious, the crossed out 'Virgin' surrounded by buttercream piped sunflowers was more than hilarious. Gigi finally found herself a permanent spot in the dorm distribution, next to Crystal on the bed, while Nicky sat with Jaida on the floor, her legs draped over her girlfriend's crossed once and Dahlia sat on top of the desk. They were just one big group now, Halloween bringing them close together. 

** no snitches, only bad bitches **

**[ Daddy Cox: Hey girls! I hope you’re all spending a nice time on this Thanksgiving break! ]**  
**[ Daddy Cox: Have any of you guys heard from Crystal these days? ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: I was just thinking about that, I’m a lil concerned, she never goes this long without texting before explaining why ]**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: I mean she did send Gigi a text ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: What??? Gigi, is that true? ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: What’d it say? ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: ‘i need to be alone.’ after she didn’t answer my texts for almost a day ]_

**[ The Backpack: That’s odd ]**

“Gigi!” Mrs. Goode snapped her out of her trance towards the phone, seeing the messages pouring in. “The guests have arrived, come on!” 

The night had passed smoothly, Gigi was distracted enough to not notice the faint buzzing of her phone in her pocket, but even though she did feel it, she subconsciously pushed it away and reminded herself to concentrate on what was important. After taking that year’s family picture, she finally felt it was the right time to check her phone, her heart sinking with guilt as she read the messages, everyone was really concerned about the matter in hand but somehow she actually wasn’t. Her anger had blinded her towards letting her petty side make all the decisions and managing the thoughts regarding the situation. 

** no snitches, only bad bitches  **

**[ Fierce Broccoli: You guys are dumb as hell. Why don’t you text one of her friends there, or her family? is she an anti social orphan or what?? ]**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: Jesus Dahlia, that’s a little rough ]**

**[ Fierce Broccoli: I’m only being realistic here sis, and maybe it’s not even true ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: finally someone with brain cells here. ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: I hope you’re not talking about yourself here because you have none of those ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: stfu jacqueline, i have not one but SEVERAL functioning brain cells. ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Miss thing, get to the point ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: anywho, i did what dahlia suggested while you guys were figuring out if our dear friend got taken away by mothman or not. ]**

**[ The Backpack: AND??? ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: so i contacted her goth friend aiden on instagram and yk crystal doesn’t have the best of times back at home in springfield. ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: and???? jesus rock you can’t just leave us hanging here for several minutes ]_

**[ Dwayne Johnson: calm down miss girl i’m having dinner with my family too, damn ]**  
**[ Dwayne Johnson: so she hasn’t been using her phone for the last few days and stays locked in her room all the time and now something went wrong during the thanksgiving dinner and she’s having a breakdown ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: oh fuck ]_

“Crystal, are you here?” Widow called, looking around the empty park. She only heard a mumble who guided her towards her friend sitting by the cold creek, arms crossed tight against herself and eyes swollen. “Jesus, you’re freezing!” 

Crystal skipped another rock, ignoring more messages plus the ones she had left unanswered. It was obvious she had been crying. Her nose and cheeks were rosy from the cold, the black long sleeve turtleneck, her knitted cardigan, leopard print skirt with black thermal socks weren’t doing a great job in keeping her warm. Heidi rushed to take off her puffy jacket, it being her last layer of many, placing it on Crystal’s shoulders while Widow took off her gloves and placed it on her fingers that were starting to grow a weird color due to the low temperature and the cold stones she took off the ground weren’t helping in the slightest. 

“What happened back there girl?” Heidi dared to ask as they sat around the big boulder next to the body of water. Heidi’s house was next to hers, and truth be told, the entire neighborhood heard the door thrown shut close and the loud discussion that disrupted the quiet, jolly ambiance that surrounded the community. When Heidi and her family peaked through the door to check, all she particularly saw was the head of curls bouncing as she zoomed through like _Flash_ down the street and out of the place and the people arguing, some even leaving the house as well, clearly mad at the words spoken. 

Aiden sat behind her in a bigger rock, combing her fingers through her hair, removing the two small braids picked up at the back with the most boring clips they knew Crystal had as she played more conservative that night, placing the items on the pocket of her cardigan. Aiden wasn’t the type of person who said a lot, but she was the embodiment of actions are more valuable than words. She was very attentive towards her friends, and the time she saved speaking she used to observe and make things better for them and the people she loved. 

“I don’t know who it was, I think it was my dad, said some horrible stuff. And with my mom’s family present so I wasn’t the only one who was angry” She cared to explain, feeling a warmth as Aiden fit her beanie over her head, the hair and fabric that covered her ears warmed them up immediately. “He used queer as a slur too…” 

“The level of disrespect!” Heidi gasped dramatically, clutching a non existent pearl necklace in indignation.

Widow just limited herself to rub Crystal’s back as comfort, watching how her bottom lip quivered “Crystal, girl, don’t cry…” She sighed, giving Aiden a look as the girl was immersed in her phone, texting someone. 

“Sorry” Aiden whispered, clearing her throat, placing her phone away. It was weird to talk to a total stranger on Instagram asking particularly for her friend, but there was a good feeling bubbling inside, knowing that back in Los Angeles there were people that loved Crystal so dearly to reach out to the most unlikely people just to see how she was holding up after days of silence. 

“I’m sorry, you know I can’t help it” Crystal sniffled, her mouth twisting into a pouty frown as the second season of tears threatened to come out. She wiped away the tears as three pairs of arms wrapped around her “Guys stop! I’m going to cry even more!” She laughed bitterly, her friends just pulling her into a tighter embrace. 

“Crystal, unfortunately this is your life here. But think about all the good stuff you have back in LA. That scholarship rescued you last minute and we’re all thankful it did. This is just a small batch in the way, you’ll be okay once you hop on that plane” Aiden spoke for the first time, fixing the hat on her friend’s head and giving her a small smile she was able to return. 

“Wow Aiden, You barely speak but when you do it’s so poetic” Heidi sighed, fanning her eyes to dry the upcoming tears. 

“We all know that’s a lie” Aiden laughed lowly in response, her friends following suit, except Crystal who just nodded with a small smile. To some extent, everyone who she hung out with was plain stupid at times, but it was funny; it made them all unique. No one could be ever bored around Crystal and someone who was friends with her. 

“Do you want to finish dinner at mine? We made mac and cheese just the way you like it. I promise my cousin Slick won’t bother you this time” Heidi offered and all Crystal could do was nod. She knew she would be welcomed with open arms and more so after they found out what made her leave the house and send its guests into an angry discussion since word traveled fast around there. “Let’s go then” 

“I’m the worst girlfriend on the planet!” Gigi lamented with a sad long drawn whine, throwing herself on her bed while hearing her friend’s voices over the phone telling her otherwise, the situation was dire but there could be worse. 

_“You're so dramatic, just call her”_ Dahlia stepped into Nicky’s speech of how there was still time for her to figure out anything and other things of that fashion.

“Should I? It’s like 3 AM back there” Gigi sighed, looking at the clock on the bedside table. _‘11:55 PM’_ She read and added three more hours to that, taking note of the different time zones. 

_“So? It is too here and I’m up and running”_ Dahlia said, her friends instantly picturing the shrug she was doing. She was definitely out on the town with her friends after going to a party and talking shit about everyone, something that was definitely a little weird on Thanksgiving.

“I’m not going to take you as a valid reference but I’m going to do it still” Gigi decided after a few long seconds of convincing herself mentally. “Bye girls, thank you” 

Gigi sat on her bed and watched the clock silently, Nancy getting up from her bed as she did, asking to be pulled on the bed besides her, which her owner did gladly. Once the time hit twelve o’clock, it was a new day for Gigi but Crystal’s had started a while ago. Gigi searched through her contacts, her finger hovering over the contact name. She took a deep breath in and pressed the ‘call’ button. 

Crystal laid down wide awake, her arms and a blanket wrapped around her body in the pajamas Heidi lended her. Tic Tac had found his way to her side and there he sat, resting alongside his almost awake owner. She was sitting on the roof of the house, chatting with Heidi until a couple hours ago when she retrieved to her room after almost falling off, her body unable to hold itself from the exhaustion. Her phone vibrated on her side, her cat jolting awake and started pawing the device, searching for a way to get rid of the item disturbing his peace. 

_“Hello?”_ Gigi heard an exhausted voice through the speaker, her heart fluttering as she heard the first words from Crystal in the last few days that suddenly felt like an eternity.

“Hey baby” Gigi spoke breathlessly, mentally cursing her lover for the type of effect she had on her. Crystal perked up, the voice sending her wide awake. She shivered and sat up, pulling the blanket closer to her body, There were what seemed to be eternal seconds of uncomfortable silence coming from both ends of the call. 

_‘I’m sorry’_ They both said at the same time without missing a beat, breaking down in quiet giggles at their mental connection.

_“Wait, um, why are you sorry?”_ Crystal asked, sounding very confused. _“Babe, I was the one that screwed up. I sent a freaking weird message and disappeared without explanation, you should be mad at me!”_

“I was angry but I still love you” Gigi hummed, hearing the calm breathing on the other side of the phone. “I just— I don’t know, I feel guilty for not checking in on you, you’ve always told me how things go wrong back in Springfield” She sighed profusely, petting Nancy as she rested on her lap. Gigi hated herself for forgetting those small but important details at the worst of times. 

_“It’s not your fault babycakes, I was the one who told you I wanted to be left alone”_ She huffed to herself, rubbing her eyes, trying to stay awake in the cold night and usher away the dreaded tears. She dreaded being always so emotional. _“I’m sorry for leaving you in the dark about my issues, it’s just been very suppressing and all. I still don’t know how to handle things around here, I wish I did though”_

“I forgive you, of course” Gigi nodded, not having seen her partner in person to know she was smiling. “But… What happened, Crissy?” 

A loud, exhausted sigh rang through the line, a sniffle coming next _“Bad things. Um... This is one of the few times I’ve snapped on them and took part of my family to do so as well…”_ Crystal chewed on her lip, laying down to stare at the sky, in hopes Gigi was on the other side watching the same view. “I rather tell you in person” 

“Jackie was right, you are a little devil who corrupts people” Gigi laughed dryly, trying to cheer her up a little while looking out the bedroom window towards the dark sky, knowing her girlfriend was doing the same and there they remained connected. “Don’t cry, buttercup. They don’t deserve more of your tears” She purred, getting a small mumble in return and a few dry sniffles “When are you catching a flight back?” 

_“Tomorrow around 6 PM, mum decided to be cheap and it ended up being very convenient”_ Crystal told her, eager for that time she walked down the aisle towards the plane and not having to look back for a couple months _“I miss you Geeg, so so much”_

A smile bubbled up Gigi’s face, a warmth spreading around her chest. “I miss you more, Crystal Elizabeth” 

The line went silent once again, but this time it was just a silence that wrapped each other comfortably as they enjoyed the bodiless company they gave each other through the phone. Crystal thought about how Harry Styles was wrong, and that comfortable silences weren’t underrated as he dictated on _‘From the Dining Table’_ on his self titled album. Comfortable silences were more than enough with the right person. 

_“I’ll tell you everything when I get back, okay? I love you”_ Crystal finally spoke after a few minutes, yawning slightly and getting up carefully, trying not to trip on the blanket, Tic Tac following suit.

“I love you too. I’ll pick you up at the airport, I know where you leave your spare keys. I can spend the night too” Gigi planned, sounding enthusiastic over the layers of exhaustion she also felt. 

_“Please do not crash the car”_ Crystal laughed softly. While she was just a little bit horrible while she was driving too fast, Gigi was bad on all occasions. _“I’ll text you the time I land, okay?”_

“You know I’ll try my best” She giggled, making herself comfortable on the bed once again “I’ll be waiting for that text anxiously, Miss Methyd” 

_“G’night, dolly”_ Crystal sighed, standing next to the window she entered the roof in and was about to leave there that same way too.

“Good night, boo bear” Gigi smiled deeply before the line went dead silent. Shortly after, both were asleep in their respective beds in their respective homes, hearts swollen from the love they missed from each other in the past few days, anxious for their reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm always posting so late lol but frank ocean is keeping me so company, white ferrari from blonde is so good. also, ribs by lorde is one of the best songs on the planet like ugh. she popped off.  
> psa.: fuck trump and save the usps. and btw, i am honestly so pissed at people who call themselves fans and then go ahead and insult queens of color. like what the fuck, get out of here with your racism and even colorism, that’s not fucking cute. anyways, stan widow von'du and any other qoc for clear fucking skin. i just want to say, as always, thank you for reading! xx


	9. say anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly, the previous issue with Gigi and the argument that happened last night were all irrelevant. 
> 
> “I’m sorry I made comments that were harmful. I’m still learning and getting to understand things with you. But I don’t care what you identify as, you’re still Crystal, my daughter. I don’t want to lose you only because of a preference, okay?” Crystal nodded and sniffled, watching him trim so carefully the wet curls. “I can’t wait to meet that girlfriend of yours. She looks... opulent” 
> 
> “Dad!” Crystal gasped, taken off guard by his comment. Her mom slapped his arm playfully before the three broke down laughing. 
> 
> “What? I bet she’s a lovely person too” He snickered, a smile warm on his face from his ladies’ laughter that echoed around the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone. as i was writing this i got the news of chi chi’s passing, hence why this chapter took longer to publish than the others. aside from that, i’ve had my own amount of unexpected issues to handle this past week. these have been hard times for everyone around the world. i hope we can get over this string of bad luck this year has brought us and that she can rest in peace, knowing the impact she’s had on drag as a whole with her kind energy and amazing performances, moments like her entrance line and her puppet show on s8 will never fail to make me chuckle. life is short and unfair, there shouldn’t be space for hate in it. so give everyone you love a hug or a kiss and dedicate them some pretty words, just because. remember to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.

_“G’night, dolly” Crystal sighed, standing next to the window she entered the roof in and was about to leave there that same way too._

_“Good night, boo bear” Gigi smiled deeply before the line went dead silent. Shortly after, both were asleep in their respective beds in their respective homes, hearts swollen from the love they missed from each other in the past few days, anxious for their reunion._

“Crystal” A squeaky voice woke her up. The mentioned groaned in response, one eye popping open to see a blurry version of her friend looking more than terrified. “Um… you see how I told you my cousin wasn’t going to bother you and he didn’t?” 

“Yeah?” Crystal sat up, rubbing her eyes, her vision still blurry. Why was she so nervous? Everything was normal in her failing vision; her clothes weren’t ripped, Tic Tac was well besides her tugging on a particular spot in her hair, the room was in place. What could be wrong? 

“Well… We were wrong” Heidi giggled nervously. Crystal’s eyes widened, her brows almost hitting the back of her head as Heidi showed her the piece of gum stuck deeply on her scalp. 

“Oh fuck” Crystal groaned, her head spinning as she plopped back in the bed and hoped it was all a dream. When she was promoted to open her eyes next, she realized it wasn’t. And her mother had a daring solution. 

_“Ay niña, quieta”_ Her mum hissed, so careful but harshly trimming the hair, removing the ball of hair entangled in bright pink gum. Mint bubblegum. Crystal’s all time favorite. Ugh. She replied with a quick apology in Spanish, _Rosas_ by _La Oreja de Van Gogh_ playing with occasional crispy tones on the turntable next to the couch was the only thing that brought comfort in the unlikely situation. She made a mental note to smuggle out that record back to California with her.

“Crystal, can we talk to you?” Her father called out hers and her mother’s attention, closing the bathroom door carefully behind him, placing a gate between them and the rest of the world, the comfort of childhood tune instantly disappeared when the sound was drowned out. Crystal nodded before her mom clasped her hands on her chin and held her head still, the loud buzz of the shaving machine rippling through the silence. “Look, some things have happened while you were gone, and um…” 

_“Ay_ just say it!” Mama Methyd interrupted her husband, her hand still squeezing Crystal’s cheeks as she finished her work with the dangerous apparatus. “Crystal, _mija,_ your father has been diagnosed Parkinson’s”

“What?!” Crystal’s head whipped to face her parents, her mom complaining about almost cutting her skull open. She looked at her father with a worried expression and all he could do was nod “W-why didn’t you tell me before?” She stood up, looking nervous as tears threatened to leave her hazel eyes, her breathing thickened with the air and she felt the walls start to close in on her, similar to a mortal trap in an _Indiana Jones_ movie. 

“We didn’t want you to get concerned” He admitted, sighing, walking towards her and helping her sit down. “We found it at an early stage in my yearly checkup, I haven’t really shown severe symptoms” 

“How could I _not_ be concerned? Do you guys need anything? I can work two jobs a-and send you guys money, uh, I can ask for a transfer and move or I can even drop out and work more back here!” Crystal rambled, stumbling for her butt to land on the chair in front of the mirror, looking panicked at herself and her parents in the reflection the mirror bought. Suddenly, the gum in her hair, the forced haircut, the previous issue with Gigi and the argument that happened last night we’re all irrelevant. 

“I don't want you to take care of me, Crys. All I want is for you to forgive me” He started, taking the scissors from the counter and starting to perfect the shape of the haircut, his daughter’s chest still rising up and down heavily, on the blink of a panic attack. “I’m sorry I made comments that were harmful. I’m still learning and getting to understand things with you. But I don’t care what you identify as, you’re still Crystal, my daughter. I don’t want to lose you only because of a preference, okay?” Crystal nodded and sniffled, watching him trim so carefully the wet curls, his hands visibly displaying the minor trouble he was facing doing the action. Crystal’s eyes watered once more at the thought of how it was a possibility this was the last time he would be able to cut her hair. “I can’t wait to meet that girlfriend of yours. She looks... opulent” 

“Dad!” Crystal gasped, taken off guard by his comment. Her mom slapped his arm playfully before the three broke down laughing. Crystal had honestly forgotten how quick issues were resolved around the house, no matter the seriousness of the matter. 

“What? I bet she’s a lovely person too” He snickered, a smile warm on his face from his ladies’ laughter that echoed around the room. “All done,” He said, taking the towel away from Crystal’s shoulders. “Now you look like me a while ago when I had that same hairstyle” He hummed happily, leaving the room to avoid cleaning anything, but knowing he would do the dishes later if his new found sickness allowed him to. 

After giving her daughter a loud kiss on the cheek, her mother left the room vacant after him, mumbling about the amounts of hair she will have to vacuum “It doesn’t look that bad, you look like a 70s rockstar” Her brother commented from the door of the bathroom that stood next to the living room since everyone was way too much into arguing on what exactly there had to be done on the redhead’s curls so they wouldn’t have to resort to shaving her whole head. “You look gayer now” 

“Are you saying that because you’re watching that 70s show?” Crystal sniffed and laughed, not knowing precisely what to react to the sudden change “Is that even possible?” She chuckled, touching the soft curls that now fell on her forehead. “Uh, do you think Gigi is going to dump me?” She asked with a pained expression, taking a short video with the same unreadable emotion written on her face, showing the desperate haircut that came as a desperate measure. 

“I mean… It’s just a hairstyle, you’ll be fine, sis. And from what you’ve told me, it’s going to take a lot more than just that for her to just dump you” He winked before exiting the room, leaving his sister to stare at herself in the mirror with the house cat playing with the balls of hair laying around. “By the way, we’re going thrifting before dropping you off at the airport. Just like old times” 

Crystal sat on the musty carpeted floor next to the gate, a little inpatient and uncomfortable with having to leave with the new information in her head, waiting for her flight to be called to start boarding. She spent as much time as she could with her family, after they sorted things out, and friends, even then she still had plenty of time left, surprisingly. Then she noticed there hadn’t been any messages from the group chat in a while, so it was her time to make an entrance, just when the announcement rang through the speakers, a blurry voice, as always, announcing something and her flight was due to start boarding soon, so she dived into the opportunity. 

** no snitches, only bad bitches  **

_[ Lady Bird: hey guys? ]_

**[ Dwayne Johnson: CRYSTAL WHAT THE FUCK YOU CANNOT JUST DISAPPEAR AND COME BACK WITH A ‘hey guys’ ]**

**[ The Backpack: Where have you been? ]**

_[ Lady Bird: all my li-i-i-i-i-ife]_

**[ The Backpack: Do NOT tempt me with Rihanna ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Crystal, answer the question. Where have you been? ]**

_[ Lady Bird: um chile anyways so ]_  
_[ Lady Bird: what do you guys think of mullets? ]_

**[ Fierce Broccoli: a crime. ]**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: ^^ should be sent to jail ]**

_[ Lady Bird: send me to guantanamo then bitch ]_  
_ [ video attachment ]  _

**[ Pepe Le Pew: Wait it looks… decent? ]**

**[ The Backpack: Not this. You did not ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: What is dis hunny ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: omg y’all are haters, this has enormous dick energy ]**

**[ Camp Counselor: … I’m digging it ]**

_‘8:01’_ Gigi read in the delicate _Cartier_ watch she carried since she was sixteen, a watch that had been passed down generations before her. Crystal told her she will be at the main entrance at eight o’clock. It was eight zero one. Soon eight zero two. Crystal was late. Gigi waited patiently against the car, arms crossed over her stomach, a bag slung across one of them, her foot tapping was slow and controlled on the pavement, observing the people passing by. Gigi was deteriorating herself by peeking at the small watch so often, infinite minutes passing by in front of her. Crystal told her she would be at the main entrance at eight. Crystal was late. It was eight zero five. Soon eight zero six, eight zero… 

Gigi withdrew her eyes from the nerve wracking ticking watch once a head full of curls caught her attention, just like that first day of school, now the circumstances were different and for the better. She waved her over, a radiant smile spreading across her perfectly tinted lips. Gigi was sure Crystal’s smile could make flowers grow and wars to come to a halt; to her, it was that beautiful. 

Crystal practically sprinted towards her girlfriend, the platform boots not stopping her from doing so, swerving and almost running over people with her hurried step. The backpack slung over her shoulder and her suitcase followed close behind. She didn’t even stop before throwing herself into her arms, diving into a hug they both needed so desperately, Gigi standing one or two inches taller due to the heels that almost made her trip as they held each other, giggling. 

“Hi gorgeous” Crystal chuckled once they broke away, her smile was so big, it was probably hurting her cheeks. She cupped her face and pulled her girlfriend into a warm, welcoming kiss, which her contrary responded to happily. 

“Hey hottie” Gigi beamed, looking at her adoringly. The happiness on her face couldn’t hide the fact that Crystal was exhausted and it was clear it had to be something related to the incidents of the past days, but she knew they would talk about it later. "I love the haircut" She commented, reaching in to touch the shorter, shaggier curls. "You do?" Crystal asked, letting out a relieved sigh once her girlfriend nodded "I thought you were going to dump me" "You could hold a gun to my head and I wouldn't leave you for anything" Gigi assured, placing a tiny peck on her lips "Can you please drive back? I’ve had enough for the rest of the year” She whined, taking Crystal’s backpack to help her out. 

Crystal chuckled, opening the backseat door to throw in the carry on. “I was sure you’ll say that so, um, I came mentally prepared” She joked, hopping on the driver seat and closing the door after her, caressing the Hello Kitty cover the steering wheel sported, taking a deep breath in and inhaling slowly, Gigi observing her from the passenger’s seat as she did so, taking note of that to talk about it later. It was visible the way her shoulders got less tense the more they spent time together. “Let’s get going!” 

“I cannot stop looking at your mullet” Rock admitted, her wide eyes fixated on her friend who sat across from her at the booth. Gigi was looking to spend more time alone with Crystal, but truth be told, she couldn’t restrain her friends from seeing her, more so that they missed her maybe a little less than she did, but the sentiment still remained valid. “It fits you SO well... somehow” 

“Why did you do it anyways?” Jaida asked, the opposite reaction of Rock, sitting skeptical in between her enthusiastic friend and her girlfriend, who remained neutral on the situation. 

“This cousin of Heidi’s, my friend back at home, always loved bothering me” Crystal started, and there was an attention grabbing factor she had whenever she spoke. She reached in to grab a fry coated in the delicious melted cheese “I think he’s into me but knows I’m gay so he has to express his frustrations, I guess” She shrugged, feeling Gigi narrow her eyes and press her lips into a fine line with the metal straw caught in between them still. 

“Gigi, are you jealous?” Dahlia noted right away, everyone in the table whipping their heads towards the mentioned, who’s neck ran with a fiery red. Everyone started laughing while Gigi’s face joined in with the tone her neck sported, Crystal leaning in to kiss her cheek loudly. 

“Don’t worry bub, he could look like young Leo DiCaprio and I would still choose you” Crystal snickered, giving her girlfriend a playful wink “Anyways, looks like he snuck into Heidi’s room last night and stuck gum on the right side of my hair. My dad came up with the idea since he had one too and my mom decided to give me the trim and the bangs too” 

“I can’t get used to it,” Jan groaned, looking back at Crystal as much as she avoided it. “It looks good! But it’s weird” She admitted, most of the girls agreeing. Her hair was the same color and maintained the untamable volume, which almost hid the shaven sides, the right side was mostly hidden by the bangs she swept to that direction, while the left gave a more clear view of the situation. 

“Well you should Janiana, because it’s not going anywhere for a long time” Crystal hummed, sweeping her hair back with attitude, a charming smile on her face. 

“Nah, I’m personally buying you a premium lace front wig first thing tomorrow” Jaida joked, her face expressing serious business but the table laughed nevertheless. No matter how foolish the comments were, none of them would change this for anything in the world. 

“Will you finally tell me what happened?” Gigi asked as they stood next to each other on the almost never empty Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign looking down on the structure from a distance, reminding them how small they were in this vast world. They still desired moments of intimacy together outside of their rooms, their barely high minds taking them to the legendary structure “I’m sorry if I'm pressing too much, I just… I’m just worried, babe” 

Crystal took a deep breath before speaking “Um, my parents are very supportive. But at the same time they’re very conservative” Crystal started telling, Gigi turning to observe her as she spoke. She noticed right away how her lover tensed at the recount of the events “So they just say these comments… um, I know they don’t mean any harm but sometimes they hurt a lot. I spent most of the time in my room because I didn’t want to face them but now I regret it, I’m so dumb” Crystal forced her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears. Gigi pulled her up into her arms right away, feeling the tears wet the perfectly ironed shirt and her quiet sniffles. 

“I’m sorry” Crystal broke away after a while, sniffling. Gigi shook her head as a silent way of saying it was nothing and reached in, drying her tears. No matter the circumstance, Gigi always wanted to be there and we the person to swipe her tears and fears away. “So, um, on Thanksgiving, something happened but now I think it’s more than irrelevant” She laughed bitterly, the tears spewing down her cheeks. “My dad is sick… and I can’t be there to help or anything, they won’t let me, my brother is still too little to do that and… I don’t know” 

“I’m sorry baby… I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help” Gigi sighed, ignoring the selfish thought of the pain it would cause for Crystal moving back to Springfield. She pulled her in for another hug, her heart breaking feeling the muffled sobs against her shoulder. “But you’re here now with me. And I’m not leaving your side anytime soon, okay? I’m sure your family will be able to figure it out” 

She received a nod, Crystal’s face still hidden deep in her crook of shoulder. After minutes of them just wrapped in each other’s embrace a lightbulb lit on top of Gigi’s head, remembering something important. “Let’s go to the planetarium and dance” She proposed, her girlfriend staring at her funny with puffy eyes and a runny nose, the sight under the dim lights was more than perfect. One of their favorite movies as a couple was La La Land. It was so bitter but so cinematic and musically perfect somehow. That was the appeal of it. 

“Well I’m known as a dancing diva for a reason” Crystal chuckled, removing the trail of tears away from her face, the action officially closing the serious conversation in hand. Gigi cocked a perfectly brushed eyebrow, and looked at her with the _'Why the fuck you lying?'_ expression. “Okay fine that’s a lie, but that won’t stop me from living my La La Land fantasy!” She guided Gigi out of the open air structure, leaving a beautiful sight of a city of lights behind them, the echoing of the clicking their shoes being the only proof they were there, passing the different exhibits to get to their next desired destiny. 

Seeing the smile on Crystal’s face as she stared in awe and curiosity of the stars around in the newfound surroundings was like finding pure, raw gold to Gigi. Minutes ago she was crying, and just by a simple proposition the pearly whites had done an appearance once more, and Gigi noticed the stars, no matter if fake or real, had nothing on Crystal’s smile. “Your smile is so beautiful” She sighed, projecting heart eyes onto her “It could be my new religion” 

Crystal blushed furiously, the smile melting away out of embarrassment “Shall we?” Crystal hummed, clearing her throat, extending her hand out for Gigi in a chivalrous way, the smile threatening to stay forever in between her glossed lips. 

“Wait a second” Gigi said, taking Crystal’s phone and unlocking it, setting it aside and adjusting the camera so it focused on the projection in front of them. Walking back to her, she handed her an airpod, which was meticulously playing the Planetarium theme from La La Land “We shall, Miss Methyd” 

Their combined dance skills were more than pathetic, but somehow they managed around a decent version of a classic polished waltz, the phone set on one of the chairs capturing their silhouettes on the starry nights background moving around; how Crystal’s hair bounced and shirt lifted slightly, the way Gigi’s skirt swished with the same movement her hair did, and how they maintained a solid posture for their attempt at waltzing. There they danced, like it was only them in the entire world; and even if it was, they wouldn’t care as long as they had each other. 

“We’re such a cliche” Gigi admitted, her hands cupping Crystal’s face after maybe the third twirl of the session, the song coming to an end, both staring into their eyes on the partial darkness, the only thing reflected in them were the stars. 

“The best one out there” Crystal winked, leaning in for the softest of kisses, breaking away when the air lacked their lungs. _“Hey lover won't you treat me right and be with me tonight? Just give me, true love and understanding for the rest of my days”_ She hummed along the song currently playing, her peculiar voice ringing around the empty room, Gigi looking at her confused. 

“Wait, you know this song?” She asked, her finger twirled around a curl that rested down her neck. Usually it was Crystal with the weird, unknown songs in her playlist, not Gigi. She was proud of finding a forgotten old gem, like _Hey Lover_ by Daughters of Eve, only for her girlfriend to recognize it. 

“I made you this playlist, dummy” Crystal booped her perfect button nose before breaking down laughing, moving away from her now flustered and embarrassed girlfriend. They got ushered out of the place by a guard entering the room, making them exit quickly, picking up their belongings and snickering to themselves, their muffled laughter echoing around the place. 

“Are you telling me where we’re going?” Gigi insisted on the passenger seat, interrupting Crystal’s horrible singing to Harry Styles’ new single _Adore you._ The only thing Crystal told her was _‘pack for a weekend, bring swimsuits and outfits picture worthy. hint: the place has a lot of pink!’_

“No ma’am!” Crystal shrugged, looking ahead to the road they’ve been driving for a little more than an hour. “We still have 2 hours left of the trip, you can fall asleep, you know?”

For the last few weeks before Thanksgiving, Crystal had been secretly working with Rock on helping her family out with their business, as they needed more employees during the Holiday season. She thought they were doing illegal things, only to find out they ran a chain of bakeries that were illegally delicious. She regretted not considering it before, settling to work at a bowling alley in Santa Monica for the past few years, unable to do so once her mental health was in danger. Suddenly it wasn’t surprising that Rock was so effortlessly talented at baking, something she ironically discovered when making weed brownies and other treats, not working with her family. Crystal wasn’t remotely close to being good at the standard they worked, so she was limited to baking cookies, packaging and delivering orders, since she had the people skill for that. It was a fun job, they liked her quietness, paid plenty aside from having great tips and no one ever questioned where all the pastries came from or why she came back with flour in her clothes. It was hard to get Rock to shut her mouth and restrain her fingers from telling hilarious work stories, everything was supposed to be a surprise. 

All this, to get Gigi a birthday and Christmas gift up to her standards and what she deserved, since it was more than obvious that the gifts she received were more than lavish. Gigi, on the other hand, didn’t suspect a thing when Crystal told her she came back to her dorm in the late hours of the night, since her schedule with school was always packed, when truth was, her classes had lowered down in quantity and she spent free time either working or with her. Crystal did feel a little guilty lying to everyone, but she reminded herself it was for a good cause. Now they were on the road, making their way towards a weekend away in a place Crystals _knew_ Gigi would like and she never thought she would be able to afford, since her whole college experience had been living on spotify premium student discount, using the talent of buying smart, being cheap, eating leftovers, instant ramen, discount coffee, alcohol and vinyls, red bull and weed. The diner was a nice escapade but she didn't have the royalties to eat there every single day. 

After a while of stubbornly complaining, Gigi finally fell asleep since Crystal insisted on hitting the road early, and her birthday week was beyond hectic. It merged with her birthweek traditions and end of year auction, which she was glad she had a talented group of friends who would make things and leave them for her to do her part in the fundraising. “Geeg, get up, we’re almost there” 

She sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning slightly as she got used to her surroundings “CRYSTAL ELIZABETH METHYD YOU DID NOT” Gigi gasped, squeezing onto her arm tightly, her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Staying at the Madonna Inn was something that lied within Gigi’s fantasies, something she knew she had to do at least once in her lifetime, but wasn’t somehow a priority. It was a three hour drive away, and none of her friends were that good at driving to endure a road trip of such magnitude. There, staring in between the iconic pink sign and her girlfriend, she realized Crystal was an incredible listener. 

_“So that’s why the True Blue era aka Unapologetic Madonna is superior to early Madonna or any other era, really” Gigi finished talking over the phone, back at the beginning of November. Crystal had stayed quiet throughout the session, with the occasional ‘Mhm’ and rustling of papers and the loud screech of markers breaking through the silence when she made any changes on her graphic design homework. Whenever they couldn’t sit down together at the library, they set up a call with each other for company while doing whatever they were currently busy on._

_“Jan would whoop your ass if she heard you right now” Crystal laughed, remembering their heated debate on the superior Madonna era “Did you know there’s an inn called Madonna but it’s not Madonna themed but it’s very cool still?” She commented on the fun fact, the sound of the Sharpie rubbing against the paper following the sound of her voice._

_“Oh I love that place! And I’ve never even been there” Gigi sighed, her voice indicating the illusion her mind was going through. There, a lightbulb lit up on top of Crystal’s face, a malicious smile breaking through her concentrated face. She finally had a plan._

“Surprise!” Crystal chuckled slightly, taking a turn to enter the hotel’s premises. She searched for a comfortable parking spot and turned to her lover with a wink, who looked like she was about to have a stroke of the current thrill. 

“MARRY ME RIGHT NOW OR I’M DYING” Gigi squealed the reference to one of her favorite reaction videos, tackling her girlfriend into a strong, sweet sugary kiss, Crystal laughing at the reference of a reaction video she constantly sent her. “Move! _Vite, vite, vite!”_

Gigi dragged Crystal out of the car, through reception after check in, and into their bedroom with their bags in hand, skipping through the whole walk. Room number #155, named _‘Hearts and Flowers’._ It was like _‘La Vie en Rose’_ by either Edith Piaf or Louis Armstrong was a room; A crazy pink, romantic fantasy, similar to most of the common areas but the greenery was more abundant there. Each room had their own unique design and theme, Crystal stayed for hours waiting on the phone to snatch their place technically last minute on one of the themed suites, and she doesn’t regret a minute of it; she would turn the world on its feet just to see her girlfriend so excited and overfilled with joy. 

“Crys, this is— Gosh, how much did this cost?” Her expression did a 180°, changing from excitement to flat out concern, rushing to hold her hands in between hers. Crystal wasn’t very discreet with her on the subject; she was only in the school under a full ride scholarship, her parents sent her a small allowance to cover her everyday necessities and she knew she stopped working in June. “This will cost you hundreds! Do you need me to chip in with anything?”

“Chip in? Why would I make you pay your own birthday present?!” Crystal responded, looking aggravated at the proposition “I’ve been working for the last few weeks, baby” 

“For all this? For me?” Gigi asked, her expression softening right away as she received a slow, careful nod from Crystal. Seconds later, they were already involved in a heated makeout session, Gigi jumping and wrapping her slim legs around Crystal’s waist, who stumbled briefly before securing her in with her hands resting under her ass, guiding her to the pink bed. 

“You’re the love of my life, Elizabeth” Gigi sighed, their chests raising up and down heavily, her legs still wrapped around her girlfriend’s waist. There wasn’t a hint of fakeness in either her tone or her expression, and Crystal knew she wasn’t kidding in the slightest. 

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Gigi Goode” Crystal sighed equally, her eyes shooting heart eyes at her lover under her. Gigi pulled her for another kiss, this one even more passionate than the last one, not wanting to break away even when the air was lacking and they were taking off garments. And there they stayed for a little while, loving each other and resting a bit before diving into an unforgettable weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only three chapters left! i can’t wait to write the remaining since i just feel so happy with the idea of it being december and imagining this shitty year coming to an end. i love water, so i think everyone should drink it even more everyday! stay safe and sane!! xx


	10. midnight love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Girl you better ask her to marry you soon or something, I wouldn’t work a day in my life for a boyfriend” Dahlia commented, swiping through the pictures Gigi took on their trip. 
> 
> “I’m not going to ask her to marry me,” Gigi confirmed. If she noticed Crystal was panicked by just asking her to come home with her for Christmas, how could she ask her college girlfriend to marry her “It’s too soon!” 
> 
> “Then how are you supposed to return the favor? She did this super extra thing for you and what you’re going to give her?” Dahlia crossed her arms. Gigi hated her often for two things: having no filter whatsoever and being right in the process. 
> 
> Gigi’s chest deflated as she felt defeated “But that’s the issue! I don’t know how I am supposed to pay her back! It’s a ginormous gesture and what do I have in mind? Nothing, nada! My mind said ‘fuck Gigi lives’ huh?” 
> 
> “Oh I almost forgot” Nicky stopped trying on the brand new shoes, placing them back in the box. “This came in for you on Friday” In her hand, Gigi Goode held what she thought was pure, raw gold. It was the answer to all of her problems.

_“You’re the love of my life, Elizabeth” Gigi sighed, their chest raising up and down heavily, her legs still wrapped around her girlfriend’s waist. There wasn’t a hint of fakeness in either her tone or her expression, and Crystal knew she wasn’t kidding in the slightest._

_“I don’t know what I would do without you, Gigi Goode” Crystal sighed equally, her eyes shooting heart eyes at her lover under her. Gigi pulled her for another kiss, this one even more passionate than the last one, not wanting to break away even when the air was lacking and they were taking off garments. And there they stayed for a little while, loving each other and resting before diving into an unforgettable weekend._

Gigi’s eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. It felt like she traveled back in time and was back on that beach she personally met Crystal for the first time. They were both wearing the same swimsuits from that afternoon, but at least Crystal wasn’t drunk or hungover. So far. She was laying down next to the pool, basking in the sun, on her left Crystal was doing the same, her tan skin sporting a nice golden shine, glimmering under the burning sun that couldn’t be stopped even with the lowering temperatures. Gigi envied the power and strength of Crystal’s melanin, since her own shoulders were starting to redden by the small time they had settled there. After two days staying in the lovely inn, the question bouncing around Gigi’s head became even louder and aware of its presence. ‘What the fuck was she supposed to give Crystal back?’ The question roamed around her head like the DVD logo on the old boxy TV in a hospital waiting room.

“What are you thinking about?” A sore voice asked by her side, Crystal was awake as well. She laid on her stomach, giving her back some time to tan, her bright eyes hidden behind the pair of lavender purple shades. 

**‘How the fuck can I give you an even better surprise than this one, you fucking talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, completely unique bitch!’** Gigi wanted to shout, but limited herself to sit up and reach in to move the bangs away from Crystal’s field of vision “Whatever you’re thinking about, gorg” She purred, earning a flirty smile from her partner.

“Why are you thinking about yourself, then?” Crystal teased, leaning into the touch, Gigi’s thumb circling around the flustered cheek with accented freckles, provided to her exposure to the sun. “Can you get me a gin and tonic before we go back to the room? Pleaaaase” She puckered up her lips and elongated the ‘A’. Gigi nodded and obliged, letting her have her first lazy moment of a whole weekend she spent pampering to all her needs. 

It was their last day there, they already skipped all classes on Friday to arrive at their reservation, and they couldn’t afford missing Monday’s next few lectures, with finals and immense project deadlines coming for their last few days and almost a week of class. Gigi had traveled to luxurious places all around the world, but this was by far her favorite vacation, even if the time was short. The place was opulent but in another type of aesthetic, a more vintage and kooky one. The Christmas decorations fit right in, never distracting away from the regular decorations the place had. Gigi felt like she was on the unofficial sequel to _Clueless,_ but Crystal was better than Paul Rudd in her eyes; they went horseback riding and hiking to the surrounding mountains, played tennis on the courts, ate delicious pastries from the bakery, had dinner with fancy outfits in the main restaurant, tanned by the pool, treated themselves to the spa and of course, had copious amounts of sex, never getting enough of each other. And everything was pink. Even the tennis courts, which sported a vibrant pink color. She had done more adventurous and fancy things in Europe, Asia, South America, but nothing could compare. She came to the conclusion the fact Crystal was there made things different to past experiences around the world with her family. Her face brightened at the thought of Crystal traveling around the world with her. 

“Here you go, carebear,” Gigi handed her the drink, watching Crystal sitting up and taking the drink, fixing the lawn chair for her to sit with her back against it. “Hey babe?” 

“Yes doll?” Crystal hummed, sipping the drink, looking at her behind the pair of sunglasses. 

Gigi took a deep breath before sitting facing towards her, her girlfriend moving a little to do the same, her legs crossed. “I told my parents you weren’t going home for Christmas since you alternate holidays to go to Springfield and your parents can’t travel here like they usually do since your dad is sick and they want you to stay with us” She rambled on, an uncertain remark settling on her face. 

It was evident how Crystal’s whole body swallowed up in nerves, her posture changed almost immediately “I can think about it…” She took a quiet, long sip of her drink, her face was a blank slate “I’ll definitely think about it, okay hun?” Now it was her mind that shut off like a _Windows 2005_ computer after overheating from hours running games like _Purble Place_ and _Friv_ , with the question showing up loud and obnoxious like the error warning tabs, similar to Gigi’s thought process, but much more scandalous and alarming, considering the seriousness of the issue. 

“Well someone is glowing” Was the first thing Gigi heard as she walked inside her room in a vintage _Juicy Couture_ tracksuit her mom once owned before being hit in the face with a shirt that flew her way. After parting the place at 3 PM and arriving back to campus around 6 o’clock, Crystal dropped her off across the street from the house, as per usual. They didn’t want to let go of each other, but Crystal clearly needed some time to think. 

“It’s a Sunday, where are you headed?” Gigi asked, holding the mesh blouse in her hand, looking at Dahlia with a suspicious expression. Her friend’s face fell in thought; she already had makeup on and her hair up in pink spoolies to create her signature wavy hair. 

“Wait… It’s a Sunday?” Dahlia asked, genuinely confused, gaining a nod from Gigi who was confused too. On the corner, Nicky sat on her bed, failing to hide her snickering “Nikole! Are you kidding me?” She gasped, throwing a pillow her way with the perfect aim making the pillow hit her right in the face. “This bitch kept telling me today was Saturday and that you left on Thursday whenever I said you left two days ago, so I was getting ready to hit the clubs!” 

“You’re so dramatic, it was just a harmless prank” Nicky said, throwing the pillow back to hit Dahlia right in the back, making her complain with the sound muffled by her head stuck inside the closet, organizing everything back to its place after she made a mess. It was usual for her to be messy while getting ready to go out. “How did it go? Where did she take you? You only texted us that you got there safe and when you were coming back today” 

Gigi offered Crystal a pact to both silence their phones and only use them to snap pics and listen to music, so they could give each other undivided attention. “You bitches won’t believe this. Crystal took me to _the_ Madonna Inn” She sighed, dropping her duffle bag by the rustic trunk set on the foot of her bed. Both her friends gasped, rushing to set themselves down in her bed, leaving space for her. 

“How? They’re usually booked for months!” Dahlia asked, swiping a makeup rag with micellar water through her face, taking away the perfect makeup she so effortlessly had done. “Also… It’s a lil expensive” Being part of a sorority and going to college, no matter where, was expensive. Gigi was transparent to her best friends about Crystal’s issues, and sometimes she wished she wasn’t. The tone Dahlia has said the phrase wasn’t comforting. They knew Crystal had seeping amounts of talent to get herself a full ride scholarship, hence why her grades were stellar and the work was never ending. She needed to work extra hard to prove herself there, unlike some of their peers who were well off. High School Crystal wouldn’t do such a thing, but once she was threatened to lose enrollment and every other benefit in freshman year, she started to bust her ass in classes, the wake up call felt like a near death experience to her. 

“First, she told me she stayed on the phone for hours to find a spot as soon as someone else dropped theirs for whatever reason. And she’s been working for almost two months now. Just so we could go there without me spending a cent. She also got me these” She reached in for the bag, pulling out a box which contained a pair of fluffy _UGG_ Disco Checkered platform slides in yellow, red, orange and pink, like the classic Starbursts flavors. 

“Oh my god we’re twinning now! But in different colors!” Dahlia gushed, pointing to her own slides, the same style in a different color scheme. “Nick, we need to get you the other color combo!” 

“The pink, green, blue and purple one? I’m in, they’re so fucking cute” Nicky nodded “But… These are so expensive for being just a pair of slides” She commented with the same tone as Dahlia, taking the box in her hands, examining the item. Gigi’s face started cracking slowly, showing her true emotions besides the euphoria of the last weekend. 

“Girl you better ask her to marry you soon or something, I wouldn’t work a day in my life for a boyfriend” Dahlia commented, swiping through the pictures Gigi took on their trip. “You guys are too cute” 

“Dahlia, they’re raging homosexuals. It’s different” Nicky said, gaining intrigued looks toward her way “Men ain’t shit, you shouldn't do anything for them” She finished her statement, gaining nods and noises of agreement. 

“I’m not going to ask her to marry me,” Gigi confirmed. If she noticed Crystal was panicked by just asking her to come home with her for Christmas, how could she ask her college girlfriend to marry her “It’s too soon!” 

“Then how are you supposed to return the favor? She did this super extra thing for you and what you’re going to give her? A piece of gum so she remembers why she was forced to get a _mullet_ in the first place?” Dahlia crossed her arms. Gigi hated her often for two things: having no filter whatsoever and being right in the process. 

“Shut up. I love the mullet and she still loves bubble gum” Gigi’s chest deflated as she felt defeated “But that’s the issue! I don’t know how I am supposed to pay her back! It’s a ginormous gesture and what do I have in mind? Nothing, _nada!_ My mind said ‘fuck Gigi lives’ huh?” 

“Oh I almost forgot” Nicky stopped trying on the brand new shoes, placing them back in the box. Gigi was so busy being stressed she didn’t even realize her friend was trying to actively steal the new piece instead of going ahead and buying her own. “This came in for you on Friday” 

_‘Ticketmaster. Miss Genevieve Goode’_ read the envelope, her eyes going wide. In her hand, Gigi Goode held what she thought was pure, raw gold. It was the answer to all of her problems. The tickets to the one night only Harry Styles Fine Line celebration at The Forum in Inglewood. Gigi felt so lucky to preorder the two tickets for her and Crystal without telling her about it, now more so that she felt indebted to her for such an amazing and expensive birthday surprise. Both tickets were only fifty bucks, but she knew for Crystal the experience was going to be priceless. “This is it!” She stood up, almost ripping open the envelope with the tickets. “I ordered these almost a month ago, I even forgot about them!”

“I hate you for leaving us” Nicky huffed, looking at the sturdy material. “I’m not even a fan of his but this is the opportunity of a lifetime! Fifty bucks to see the Harry Styles? He could literally give them out instead. It’s like a present that’s just missing a bow!” 

“You’re not my girlfriend Nicky, ask yours to take you; You can come to the pop up shop with us on Saturday” Gigi shrugged before redirecting her attention to the tickets “Ugh I know bitch! This is legendary” Gigi squealed, taking out her phone and arranging a date with Crystal “And she’s been so sad they were sold out and resold at crazy prices, I can’t wait to tell her” She sighed, plopping back in the bed in the empty space between her friends, holding the tickets to her chest with a dreamy smile. 

Now the hard part came with finding a spot that aligned with both hers and Crystal’s schedule. Gigi was an organized busy woman, more so with a lot of finals coming towards her way, but Crystal was a hectic busy woman. She had thirty things to do at the same time; study for exams, prepare presentations, group and individual projects and on top of that she had to work and get ready for Christmas, having to buy presents to send back home and make sure they arrive on time. She was estranged on why Gigi insisted on meeting up before Friday and exclusively before Friday.

“Sorry I’m late, traffic was so shitty!” Crystal panted, setting her bag down by her side. She called for her usual iced latte at the counter, the barista gladly taking her order. Gigi called her to her regular café, the place where they had their first unofficial date. Lately, everything was just reminding Gigi of their firsts, but the situations were totally different, and she was pleased they were on a happier note. “I had to finish a group project at the library, it’s the last one I hadn’t finished for finals week” She sighed, sweeping the bangs to the side they belonged and thanking the server for her order. 

Gigi didn’t wasn’t even bothered by the tardiness, something that usually buggled her. Her presence brought a warmth to the coldness of the room “It’s fine my love! I’m so excited! I got something for you” She hummed, her cheeks swelling up from a stale toothless smile, the giggles still audible. 

“Did you consume red bull and coffee? I told you that was dangerous…” Crystal asked, clearly baffled by her behavior. Once upon a time, in freshman year, Rock suggested she tried the beverages one after the other to pull an all nighter to wrap up unfinished projects for the next day, if not she would be stripped away from the scholarship and forced back to Missouri. After executing the most dangerous idea on the planet and drinking three iced coffees after two cans of red bull on an empty stomach just to stay up for a little more than thirty six hours, Jackie had to carry her out of the dean’s office after being announced she could stay, and take her to the nurse for having tachycardia, migraines, nausea, vomiting and delirium. Needless to say, Crystal didn’t talk to Rock for almost a month after following her idiotic suggestion. Shaking the memory away, she carefully observed her girlfriend reach into the plain, classic _Longchamp_ bag, her hand holding a plain standard white envelope that she slid her way. 

“I didn’t, don’t worry. Open it!” She insisted, her bright green eyes opened widely towards her. Crystal mumbled something before opening the envelope, her hands becoming shaky at the touch of sturdy paper. Her breath caught on her throat as she stared down in shock at the two tickets in front of her. Crystal didn’t say anything, she just looked between the tickets and Gigi a few times before two fat tears streamed down her cheeks simultaneously. Crystal set the tickets carefully on the table before covering her crying flustered face in her hands. 

“You didn’t. You didn’t!” Crystal laughed, a small sob leaving her lips as she lifted her face up, fanning the tears away and sucking in the runny mucus in her nostrils. “I thought they were sold out! Where did you find them?!” 

“I ordered them secretly when the pre sale was happening a month ago” Gigi smiled, reaching in to remove the dried tears from her cheeks. “I even forgot about it. Besides, I needed to thank you somehow for the best weekend of my life” 

“You seriously didn’t have to! It was your birthday!” Crystal sighed, looking down at the tickets. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have to tell you something too” She cleared her throat, sweeping her hair towards the back. 

“Yes?” Gigi watched as Crystal set the tickets away, a pained, serious expression settling on her features. Oh uh. That wasn’t good. 

“I’m breaking up with you to be with Harry Styles” She said, watching Gigi’s face pass through thirty different emotions, only to look mad at the scare “Just kidding, bub. I wouldn’t do that. I just wanted to tell you that… Um, I’ve thought about the Christmas thing and I think I’m going with you” 

“You serious?!” Gigi reached in to take her hand in between hers, squeezing them with delight . She tried to understand the pressure she might feel with not ‘meeting the parents’ but ‘’meeting the whole family’. “Are you doing this because of the tickets? I didn’t want you to feel pressured into it” 

“Not really. But yeah, I’m serious. I honestly didn’t want to stay alone in my dorm and I didn’t want to bother any other of my friends so I figured that if your mom liked me enough I guess there wouldn’t be a problem with the rest of your family. And I also wanted to give you your Christmas gift right on Christmas, that would be cute honestly… I’m rambling, am I?” She let out the big breath she was holding in during the long monologue.

Gigi nodded with a chuckle. “I’ll be just fine. I promise” She smiled, but she was back on the weekend dilemma but with a different question. ‘What was she supposed to give Crystal for Christmas?’ The question was burning her brains off already and it showed up a minute ago. Shit. 

**no snitches, only bad bitches**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: i’m seriously not speaking to you again, Crystal Elizabeth ]**

**[ Lady Bird: i am literally sitting next to you rn, roxanne ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: you’re the one going to see harry styles without me. you don’t deserve to hear my voice ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: did she talk to you 5 seconds after sending that text @Lady Bird? ]**

**[ Lady Bird: absolutely right ma’am ]**

_[ Camp Counselor: guys ]_

_[ Camp Counselor: what would be the perfect Christmas gift for you? ]_

**[ Confusia the 3rd: Ooh girl I need more makeup ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Jaida, you’re going to pay the national debt by yourself with the amount of makeup you buy ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: And what about it, miss girl? ]**

**[ Daddy Cox: Anyways, the new collector’s classics from Penguin. Those covers are so damn beautiful. ]**

**[ The Backpack: Honestly new sports bras and leggings for cheer practice. I've had the same ones from freshman year and they’re all worn down ]**

**[ Fierce Broccoli: I want a Birkin but I can’t have it all in life ]**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: You still on the waitlist? ]**

**[ Fierce Broccoli: Yup. ]**

**[ Lady Bird: honestly all i want for christmas is u @Camp Counselor ]**  
**[ Lady Bird: jk i want some new art supplies and a new dress. which one? i don’t know exactly ]**

**[ Pepe Le Pew: I just want to see my family and go on a shopping spree back in Paris or in Amsterdam ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: a sugar daddy would might be enough ]**

**[ Confusia the 3rd: “MIGHT BE ENOUGH” ????? ]**

**[ Dwayne Johnson: aw c’mon jaida yk i've never had a sugar daddy before when i could literally just got ahead and get one ]**

“I’m so excited, I’ve spent all day listening to the album,” Gigi commented, holding Crystal’s free hand on her thigh. “It’s so good” Her plan to make Crystal admit what she wanted for Christmas hasn’t only been beneficial for her but for the two couples in the group as well, who each person texted her separately thanking her for asking about the gifts and getting valuable information, apparently everyone was clueless on holiday gifts that season due to amount of work and projects. 

“I feel like _golden_ was written just for you” Crystal commented, as the track started playing, the angelic first notes ringing through the speakers. 

“I can say the same about you and _sunflower, vol. 6._ Those noises at the end are so funny” Gigi reached in to turn up the volume “And fine line is the best song ever. I could cry happy tears to it every single day” 

Similar to last week, they decided to skip their last few classes of the day, a teacher even telling Crystal she was attending the concert herself with her daughter and wishing her the best. As the sun started setting in the distance, they waited with lots of other people for the floor doors to open. It was breezy, Crystal was wearing the flower embroidered bell bottom pant, a pair of pastel yellow platform shoes, a cropped sleeveless shirt and her classic cardigan. Gigi was wearing a white sleeveless turtleneck bodysuit, with a black straight leg denim pant, a pair of Nike _classic cortez_ and a custom made racer jacket with her last name on it, the classic shoulder _Prada_ purse holding their most important things inside, while Crystal’s tote bag had merch they just bought, exclusive of the event. 

A voice called their attention “Hi, could we ask you some questions and record them? It’s for the BTS video the Harry Styles team is making” A lady with a ‘Staff’ t-shirt approached them with a microphone and a cameraman behind her. They shared a look and nodded, Crystal taking the microphone. “What are your names and where are you from?” She asked behind the camera kindly 

“I’m Crystal, I’m from Springfield but I study and live here in LA” She answered short and sweetly, passing the microphone to her girlfriend who stood by her side. They never let go of their hands, and it brought each other comfort. “I’m Gigi, I’m from LA and we go to the same school” She responded as well, the two giving warm smiles. 

“What does Harry mean to you?” The lady asked another question, them listening attentively. 

Crystal took the microphone back “Oh gosh, I feel like I’m going to cry already” She whined humorously right off the bat, turning aside for a bit, making Gigi and the people behind the camera laugh. “Um… Harry, without a fail, has always been there for me whenever I needed him. In middle and high school I had issues, regarding my sexuality and…” She sniffed, Gigi squeezed her hand and aided her fanning her eyes, saying soft words of encouragement “...during the worst of times, he was always there for me making me laugh and bringing happiness. Same thing when I had to move out here and was struggling with school, it was tough but he released Harry Styles and that kept me going” 

The woman nodded respectfully “Same question” She said to Gigi, Crystal passing her the microphone and looking at her attentively as she spoke. 

“Well, I’m not Harry’s biggest fan, if I’m completely honest, I started listening to the first album last week and fine line today and I’m loving it so far.” Gigi started, throwing her hair aside. Crystal and herself chuckled to each other, like two little girls with a big secret “But seeing how happy he makes my girlfriend, she transmits that happiness he brings towards me. And it’s priceless to see her so joyful like that. Since it’s just a small drive for us, as soon as I saw the pre sale for this I grabbed my wallet and ordered the tickets cause she deserved it” She spoke, saying the last part looking at Crystal, a smile on their faces as she spoke. 

“What are you looking forward to the most about tonight?” 

“Definitely dance a lot! Connect with fellow fans and enjoy Harry in all his wide legged pant glory!” 

“Also dance until my feet fall off, connect with the music and enjoy my lover’s happiness and excitement”

After taking a small video of them just fooling around in front of the legendary structure the stadium had, their session was over “Thank you so much girls. You’re such a cute couple” The woman complimented with her outstanding friendly and kind tone. Both thanked her before going back to their spot waiting, engaging with other people happily, listening and sympathizing to their stories. “A lesbian couple at a Harry Styles concert? We love to see it. He’s like the only man sapphics truly love” Someone commented, and neither took the humorous comment to offense because they seriously didn’t lie. 

The adrenaline of getting a good spot in the crowd was otherworldly. The pair ran hand in hand, laughing loudly to each other, the sound muffled by the chaos surrounding them. Neither of them knew they could run that fast, as they weren’t really an athletic couple, gaining them a good spot in the middle, a little less centered but with good view of both the screen and the stage. 

“I can’t thank you enough for this, Geeg” Crystal turned to her with glittering eyes, a small dimple forming from the magnitude of her smile. And just like that, Gigi felt she could pull the moon down just to squeeze a positive reaction that made her stomach bubble to the point she thought her intestines weren’t functioning properly. 

“You deserve this and more, Crissy. You best believe it” Gigi pulled her in for a hug, squeezing each other tight in their embrace. Hugging her girlfriend was an activity Gigi would never consider she would have enough of. The world just held itself around them and it was just the two of them in comfort. 

“ohmygodohmygod this is actually happening!” Crystal squealed, shouting alongside the rest of the crowd when the lights went down, and up the stairs Harry Styles appeared in all his “wide legged pant glory”, which made him look taller than he could even really be. The first notes of Golden started playing as he arose up a pair of stairs “Oh my gosh babe it’s your song!” Crystal turned to her with a peep, squeezing the cutest laughter out of her girlfriend. 

And that’s how they spent the night. Enjoying the concert but mostly each other; singing the songs to each other, Crystal often tangled her arms around Gigi when a slower song came into the set list, as they sang quietly and observed the show happening in awe. “We’ll be a fine line…” Crystal sang in a whisper in Gigi’s ear, her pink bubblegum breath never failing to bring shivers down her lover’s spine. 

“We’ll be alright” Gigi sang back in the same fashion, before pulling her into a kiss as the orchestra climax boomed through the speakers, and the noise around them just disappeared. Gigi Goode firmly believed that real love was the moment you can’t exist without that someone, when you rather die than be apart from them and if the whole world goes dark, it won’t matter as long as they're standing there with you. And that’s what she felt about Crystal. From the moment she observed her carefully, laying down next to her in the picnic blanket. 

“I’m having your baby! It’s none of your business!” Crystal sang loudly, doing something similar to a drunk doing the chicken dance, her voice and the sound of her shoes on the gravel echoing through the almost empty parking lot, Gigi’s voice echoing after hers. 

“That was epic! I can’t believe he brought Stevie Nicks out for a song!” Gigi sighed, jumping into her seat, reliving the moment with a dreamy smile, the _Fleetwood Mac_ fan in her was satisfied “This night was… something else” She turned to her girlfriend while she started the car, Crystal locking the door before kicking off the pair of platforms, grabbing her yellow pair of crocs. Their wishes came true, both their feet hurt so much from all the dancing, but the ecstasy post concert was blocking away the pain… for the most part. 

“It really was. All thanks to you” Crystal leaned in to give her a small peck, which deepened into a longer kiss once Gigi couldn’t resist melting into it. Unexpected things Crystal did for her, like sending her flowers for no apparent reason, remembering her pizza order, knowing she was nervous whenever she chewed on the left corner of her bottom lip, the fact she only liked doc martens if they look like the shoes she wore for preschool at eight years old, that her favorite cereal was lucky charms and she only ate it without milk directly poured into the bowl and things of the same fashion showed her how much she was loved. ‘Being known is being loved’ was something her grandma always told her and now she so fondly remembered now that she finally understood. “I know it’s midnight but I’m starving” 

“Aww is my baby hungry after screaming to my face all the lyrics to adore you?” Gigi smiled, poking her stomach, gaining a complaint along with a strained laugh. “I’m going to take that as a yes. Should we get some Chinese takeout from that place Jaida us about?” 

“Ooh let’s do it. Some orange chicken, dumplings and fried rice sounds exquisite at these unholy hours” She started the car, the air hitting them instantly, drying out their faces of left over sweat. 

“I’ve been really craving egg rolls and beef lo mein these last few days. Also I want something sweet… I can’t eat twenty fortune cookies, they have a limit!” Gigi typed promptly the number of the place, calling in to set their takeout order in advance. 

“I think they serve mooncakes and egg tarts in the business across the street, Nicky said they were good” Crystal hummed, their domestic behavior being something both were used to. 

Ten days away from Christmas, the spirit was already surrounding the whole country and its neighboring nations, and had been doing so the second the clock hit midnight and it was a whole new month, the first of December. The Christmas Spirit was joy, it made you give to others, want to have company, love others no matter what. Like any other Friday night, they sat under the now soft blue lights, eating Chinese food on the floor, cushions under their legs to keep them comfortable as they shared food and stories, the vinyl collection of Christmas music Crystal owned playing dimly in the background. Whenever they were together in that little dorm, or anywhere else, the Christmas spirit was there, no matter the season or month. It was also present in the facetime calls Nicky and Jaida would often have talking nonsense to each other, or the trip Jackie and Jan were organizing to spend the Holidays together for the second time in a row, Jackie not really celebrating as christians did but believing in the values the time had set and taking advantage of the break they were given. The Christmas spirit was pure, unadulterated love. And that never deserted either Crystal Methyd or Gigi Goode whenever they were around each other, no matter if it was December or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another gig centered (ish??) chapter. fun fact: i love harry styles SO MUCH it's incredible. i hope i get to see love on tour next year. another fun fact: that bts video i mentioned actually exists, it's in harry's youtube page so i had to add them in. also the song the title is based (midnight love by girl in red) is actually anything but sweet but it's here anyway. also she released a song called 'rue' and if it's not on euphoria season 2, we're going to have some issues in this house of the lordt. i can't wait for christmas to come around already. thank you for reading!! xx


	11. 4 am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Talk to me” She smiled, sitting next to her on the long seat, reaching in once her hand was free. 
> 
> “I don’t know… I guess I’m just scared” Crystal voiced her concerns “It’s my first Christmas without my parents. I don’t really care about spending Thanksgiving without them, it has happened before but… It’s just…” She sniffled, rushing to lean her head back, trying to dry the tears with the aid of her hands. “And what if the rest of your family doesn’t like me? What if they say things?” 
> 
> “I’ll beat their asses.” Gigi tried lightening the air, squeezing a chuckle out of her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to start this chapter on a happy note by congratulating the winner of cdr because i love her so much, but once again, these people that call themselves “fans” are harassing and ruining qoc’s lives. aside from the blatant racism the current queen of the north is suffering, brita is having suicidal thoughts and addiction problems, on top of that was forced to leave social media and widow tweeted something that truly broke my heart, referencing she didn’t even want to do drag anymore. jesus this fucking sucks. the racism and toxicity inside this fandom is outstanding. i hope they feel okay soon, and those people better get their heads out their ass before they kill someone. 
> 
> anyways, this is the longest chapter so far, meaning that there’s a whole lot to cover here. so buckle up, it’s going to be a long one.

_Ten days away from Christmas, the spirit was already surrounding the whole country and its neighboring nations, and had been doing so the second the clock hit midnight and it was a whole new month, the first of December. The Christmas Spirit was joy, it made you give to others, want to have company, love others no matter what. Like any other Friday night, they sat under the now soft blue lights, eating Chinese food on the floor, cushions under their legs to keep them comfortable as they shared food and stories, the vinyl collection of Christmas music Crystal owned playing dimly in the background. Whenever they were together in that little dorm, or anywhere else, the Christmas spirit was there, no matter the season or month. It was also present in the facetime calls Nicky and Jaida would often have talking nonsense to each other, or the trip Jackie and Jan were organizing to spend the Holidays together for the second time in a row, Jackie not really celebrating as christians did but believing in the values the time had set and taking advantage of the break they were given. The Christmas spirit was pure, unadulterated love. And that never deserted either Crystal Methyd or Gigi Goode whenever they were around each other, no matter if it was December or not._

_”Óyeme bien Crystal Elizabeth, you have to behave yourself there. They were nice enough to invite you over to spend the holidays and it is not the time to be foolish”_ The authoritarian voice with an accent boomed through the dorm.

Crystal looked around the dorm room and sighed, continuing to pack her things. She had two small ice packs on her temples held by a headband, the hangover she had was astronomical; they went to celebrate the end of the first semester to their token gay bar, _Himeros,_ the treatment they deserved on a Friday night. What she loved most was the approach the group and a bunch of other customers had taken to the unusual 60s theme for that night; dressing up and dancing like _Teen Beach Movie_ and _Dirty Dancing_ had a child. She remembered in the worst of times, while walking out of the bar at four in the morning with her girlfriend perched to her neck that she precised getting up early to pack her things to stay over at the Goode household for, not one, but two weeks. She felt like the family was going to despise her by the time they would be returning back to campus. _“Si, jefa”_ She responded, looking for a way to fit the three neatly wrapped presents in her suitcase, only to give up on it and set them aside. 

_“And you’re a good cook, step in if you notice they’re not seasoning well enough. Tu sabes como son los blanquitos, que solo usan sal”_ Mama Methyd spoke as a matter-of-fact, with the same tone she used for gossiping.

“Mom!” Crystal gasped, failing miserably to strain her laughter, head pounding once more. With both her parents very good cooks, it wasn’t surprising both Crystal and her brother got some of the skills passed down to them. “What am I even supposed to do in that situation? ‘Hey! Your cooking sucks, let me step in and add spices!’ No! That’s rude!” 

_“It’s not rude if you’re trying to help”_ She mused with a sing-song voice _“Also, your presents got here earlier. I hope you got me a new vase after your brother broke my favorite one after playing soccer inside the house”_

“Why didn’t he get you a new vase?” Crystal complained, but glad she did get her, not one, but two new vases, a psychedelic one full of 3D faces she sculpted herself and a vintage find from an antique store, where she asked in detail the history of the item just in case it was haunted. The last thing Crystal wanted was to bring more misfortune to her childhood home. 

_“He tried, but it was very ugly, so I put it in your room so nobody had to see it”_ She commented, making Crystal force a breathy, bitter laugh. She was already inside her head with the whole ‘staying in California and not seeing your family on Christmas’ situation. A moment of comfortable silence settled in the call _“We’re going to miss you this year, mija. But Due to the circumstances, I’m glad you’re spending this time with your girlfriend and not alone”_

“I miss you guys too, Ma. Kiss Tic Tac for me” Crystal sighed, feeling a bittersweet feeling perched on her chest. “I’ll call you guys on Christmas morning, okay? _Te quiero demasiado”_ _“Yo también, Crys. Cuídate”_ Was the last thing she said before hanging up the call. The group chat was deadly silent, meaning everyone was asleep. Crystal slept merely four hours, getting up at nine o’clock to finish packing, using a reusable cloth bag to fit the boxes with presents. 

Aside from partying on Friday, they had a little get together in Jan’s dorm, another unofficial hangout spot, on Wednesday, the day they actually finished classes and had a Christmas themed night, a tradition that included a pajamas as the dress code, a PowerPoint presentation section, watching _Mean Girls_ and recreating the winter dance scene they knew too well, Jackie being the perfect fit for Mrs. George and doing other things like drinking spiked hot chocolate. Dahlia, Gigi and Nicky were very confused by the assignment when presented with the proposal, but still came prepared for the activities. The quality of their presentations equaled the ones from the group that was already used to doing the activity, with topics ranging from ‘People I would take their rights away when given the chance’, ‘Why Abby Lee is the Antichrist’, ‘Why small dogs should be the public enemy’ and ‘Why Ratatouille is Pixar’s magnum opus’

Aside from that, they had a secret santa, but cancelled the “secret grinch” to not scare off the new three other girls with their antics, giving rather nauseating pranks to each other on the event. Crystal got Nicky from the drawing of names. Crystal was an excellent gifter, it was just in her nature. She gave her a painting and a clay/felt doll, all done with her own two hands. 

_“Is this…” Nicky gasped, tearing open with more force the wrapping paper that was hiding away the canva._

_“A recreation of ‘Liberté guidant a la peuple’ with your face in it with a marvelous gown I saw you designed based on the badge the revolutionaries carried? I think so” Crystal hummed happily, watching everyone perplexed stare at the painting, Nicky’s face with flawless makeup blending right in, like DelaCroix painted her there initially. The dress was white, red and blue and it was less than simplistic, the rebel badge hanging off the hip in her gown where a slit parted to reveal the perfectly modeled leg. “Of course, I don’t know how your titties look like so I just based off the original painting” She explained, searching for further reaction._

_“And you… painted this? Like, you made this by yourself?” Nicky mused, staring at the painting and touching the impeccable textures. Once again, Crystal proved to everyone why she earned her full covered spot in the university._

_“Yup! Even the canva, I always line it myself. First I designed the painting on Adobe Illustrator then did use oil paints even though I hate it a bit but I guess it would look more classic if I did it with that. Do you like it?”_

_“I’m speechless, bitch” Nicky laughed, making the others laugh as well and Crystal fluster in her seat “I can’t stop looking at it. It looks so… seamless and perfect. You’re really talented” She sighed, setting the portrait aside and opening a smaller box that was originally on top of the painting “Oh my god! My own Coraline doll! That movie is my guilty pleasure”_

_“You make them look so real, it’s creepy” Rock said, staring at the doll made out of a mix of fabric, clay, buttons and felt._

_“I thought you stopped making these” Jackie commented, looking at the doll. Each of her friends who could stomach the movie had their own personalized Coraline doll with button eyes. “Considering they give me nightmares”_

_“I did but old habits die hard” Crystal shrugged before receiving a tackling hug from Nicky, who was excited to hang the painting in her home in Paris and have her whole family see it._

She received the secret santa from Jan, who passed her the big colored box with a bow on top and couldn’t stop smiling. _“Open it!” She insisted with a wheeze._ _“What is this?!” She laughed, looking at the vibrant paint brush strokes print jacket, filled with pom poms and small plushies, varying from The Muppets, to Sesame Street to Beanie Babies “You made this?!”_ _“Everyone here in this room helped me because I can’t turn on a sewing machine by myself” She joked, winking. “But I can work a hot glue gun very well!”_ _“This is incredible! I love it!” Crystal looked ecstatic, fitting on the garment. She got up from her place and danced in the middle of the circle, everyone enjoying the foolishness in front of them, while Gigi had the head over heels expression she accustomed to have whenever Crystal did barely anything._

A loud knock pulled her out of the memory. Crystal tripled checked everything to close the suitcase shut, setting it down and aside, next to the bag of presents, the hot pink hard material the luggage sported making a small sound, replicating the second knock that filled the room. “Coming!” Crystal’s voice came out high pitched and sore, her face twisting into a frown. She removed the almost melted ice pads before opening the door. 

Gigi pushed past her, dragging her own suitcase and a purse, setting them on the corner next to the tiny table close to the makeshift equally tiny but functional kitchen she finally decided to install, in the spot that once stood empty next to the bathroom. Without any further say, Gigi flopped down to lay on her stomach in her girlfriend’s bed, inhaling in the scent of the One Direction duvet. She was clearly hungover, hiding her aching eyes behind shades. 

“Good morning to you too, Miss Goode” Crystal tried to converse, sitting at the foot of the bed. In response, her partner just stretched out her arm, asking for her to lay down alongside her. Once she did, she settled her head in her chest, taking off the sunglasses and stretching to set them on the desk. 

“I told my mom we would get there at two. Let’s rest, okay? I’m sure you’re more tired than I am” Gigi mustered, caressing Crystal’s cheek. At the mention of the upcoming trip, the girl tensed visibly under her. “What’s wrong, boo bear?” 

“What if they don’t like me? I’m a little scared, bub” Crystal finally admitted out loud, tired of pretending everything was going okay in her head. “What if they think I’m too wacky, too quiet or too talkative, not funny enough, not white enough, that I suck at making desserts when I insisted on it, that I have too many tattoos and piercings and that my laugh and my mullet is weird and…” Crystal started to ramble, tears spewing out her eyes, only to be shut down by a pair of soft lips placed onto hers. Like a defibrillator to an ill heart, Gigi stabilized and brought her back to safety.

“Crissy, my mom loves you already. They’re all going to love you. Not as much as I do, but close enough. You’re incredible. Anyone who disagrees is a bitch” Gigi cooed, her tone mismatching her the message. She caressed her freckled cheek, drying away her tears, taking along with her the insecurities within. “Let’s take a nap, okay? We’ll figure it out later” 

This time, Gigi suggested driving herself, considering Crystal didn’t know the way there. The drive wasn’t as bad as they pictured it, having previous experiences as proof Gigi was not that much of a decent driver. But they had to switch seats once the parking part came, something Gigi never excelled at. 

“Hi girls!” A cheerful voice called from the door as they exited the car, stretching a little bit each. Gigi extended her hand out for Crystal to hold, their joint hands swinging a bit as they walked on par up the steps and towards the door. “Oh my god Crystal hi! Your hair looks so good! I love this cardigan!” Mrs. Goode pulled Crystal into a hug first, to the couple’s surprise. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Goode. I made it myself a few years ago with my _abuelita”_ She chuckled nervously, pulling away, her hands going straight to fidget with the sleeve hem of the piece. “I would also like to thank you for the invitation, it means a lot” 

“Mrs. Goode? You’re making me feel old! Call me Kristi” The woman laughed “It’s nothing! I’m more than glad our little Gigi has decided to be so open and agree to our crazy idea to bring her girlfriend home” 

“Mom!” Gigi complained, only to get shushed. Gigi was right when she said her mom adored Crystal. If she could, she would adopt Crystal. She saw that same kindness and awkwardness everyone else who knew her saw, and embraced it along the way. 

_“Genevieve”_ She said with a more severed tone “I’m sending your brothers to help you with the luggage, we have a guest!” She told off her youngest before turning to Crystal, who mouthed a ‘Sorry babe’ in her girlfriend’s direction. “As I was saying, it’s such a pleasure to have you here with us this Christmas. I heard your dad was sick, how is he?” The voices started to fade as the two walked inside the large house, Gigi watching them go. Even though she was more than startled by the welcome her loving mother gave her, she was happy for Crystal, who looked like she was about to eat the tip of her fingers on the way there, the nerves consuming her.

Crystal came inside the house with the mindset she was going to be torn to shreds by a pack of rabid dogs, along with the predisposition her girlfriend’s family would already despise her at the end of the day. Once she started talking to Mrs. Goode, it all changed right away. She made the most to make her feel welcome in the new environment, and the only thing Crystal could be was grateful. She gave her a house tour and she finally had the pleasure of meeting Nancy, Gigi’s adored dog, who followed them around and insisted to be carried under the newcomer’s underarm, finding a source of entertainment by chewing on the girl’s hair and cuddling into the crochet cardigan. 

“You literally stole my whole family away from me” Gigi said eager to finally be alone with Crystal, closing the bedroom door behind her. “They all love you! I mean, Nancy, for example. She hasn’t chewed off your shoes! And my brothers actually spoke to you. They wouldn’t even look at the boyfriends I brought home in high school. I think they knew I was a lesbian before I did” She rambled on, only to fall in notice Crystal was deep asleep on top of the duvet, Nancy laid on top of her stomach curled up into a ball. 

Gigi only smiled to herself and searched through Crystal’s bag, pulling out both the disposable camera and her phone, taking a picture of the beautiful sight in front of her eyes. She sighed, taking off the crooked glasses out of her girlfriend’s face and getting comfortable in her pajamas before laying down, cuddling next to her. She knew it was about to be two long weeks. And she only prayed for everything to be the best of it. 

“Is this nice? I don’t know how your family dresses up for the Holidays” Crystal asked Gigi, looking at the red wine colored tight dress her mom forced her to wear, getting on her tiptoes and twirling around a little bit to check the length from behind, hoping it wasn’t too short. First Christmas without her family, and when she thought she was able to bear it, the feeling started to eat her inside out. Crystal wanted to feel okay, but thinking about everything back home just slowly pressured her more into stress. 

“I haven’t really seen you wear something similar but it’s still very you with the jewelry” Gigi hummed from her spot in the vanity the room had. She sat crossed legged, the green dress held tightly against her body, making the garment appear to be made out of latex. The concentration her makeup required distracting her from the meltdown her girlfriend seemed to be close to having. 

“I hope that’s good enough” Crystal sighed, moving away from the mirror and sitting down in the ottoman in front of the bed, leaning down to grab the black heels. The nerve racking thoughts started earlier, once she was done preparing the arrangement of desserts for dinner. Just when she sat under the steaming water in the shower it all hit her. The thoughts progressed when she was doing her makeup, a blue cut crease eye to compliment the glittery red of her lip, the combination being an usual occurrence for her. She even blow dried her hair with a diffuser, giving the curls better shape than when she air dried them. 

“You’re always good enough” She finished off the look with a red lip, closing the tube and getting up, the red heels clicking with every step. “Talk to me” She smiled, sitting next to her on the long seat, reaching in once her hand was free. 

“I don’t know… I guess I’m just scared” Crystal voiced her concerns to her once more, fidgeting with the red and gold layered necklace her mom found at a thrift store and gave it to her once she arrived back on Thanksgiving. “It’s my first Christmas without my parents. I don’t really care about spending Thanksgiving without them, it has happened before but… It’s just…” She sniffled, rushing to lean her head back, trying to dry the tears with the aid of her hands. “And what if the rest of your family doesn’t like me? What if they say things?” 

“I’ll beat their asses. If my mom doesn’t do it first” Gigi tried lightening the air, squeezing a chuckle out of her girlfriend “But hey,” Her hand reached carefully under her chin, moving it towards to face her. “I’m here, if it’s of any consolation” Hazel met green in those long minutes, their eyes working better than words. 

“You’re here, that’s enough consolation” Crystal repeated, a smile creeping up on her cheeks “And you always know exactly what to say” She leaned in, her hand resting on her cheek delicately, avoiding to ruin her girlfriend’s makeup. The kiss was soft and gentle, there was no rush or wicked intentions in it. It was just another way of reminiscing the words they sang to each other once ‘we’ll be a fine line. we’ll be alright’

A shy knock on the door pulled them away. “Girls, come down as soon as you’re done getting ready, the guests are arriving” Kristi’s voice rang through the room. 

“Let’s go then!” Gigi stood up and took the lead this time, dragging Crystal up with her. They walked hand in hand towards the flight of stairs. “By the way, you look so hot in that dress” She whispered before descending the stairs with her girlfriend, a satisfied smirk on her face by the reaction Crystal had, who’s eyes widened and stood right up. 

“Oh my god, Geeg. Jesus is going to be birthed once again in a few hours, have some respect for our lord and savior” Crystal whispered back, the two stifling their laughters behind their impeccable smiles, reaching the bottom steps. 

Meeting Gigi’s family wasn’t as bad as Crystal would have expected. They just walked around the premises, approaching the small groups scattered around the house as Gigi introduced Crystal as her girlfriend, who was in college with her. As a couple they were complimented on their seemingly planned matching outfits, them not even realizing they were sporting the colors of the holiday. No one seemed to be scandalized by the fact they were lesbians, it was the most mundane thing for them all. ‘As long as you’re happy, we don’t mind’ Some commented. When leaving to assist in the kitchen with anything, the guests found themselves gushing about Crystal and her charisma, the way she could be funny by just smiling a little confused was something most found amusing and how good she was entertaining kids in the most exciting ways possible. All Gigi could do was contribute to the conversation by adding even more praise to her lover and sigh, completely satisfied by everyone’s reactions upon meeting her. 

The nerves and anxiety that deserted Crystal came to haunt her back once more when The Circle was announced. It was just a sharing circle, everyone telling funny experiences. They insisted it wasn’t a contest, but everyone had assumed a battle like determination in their faces, running through their heads finding something emotionally striking to tell. Crystal, on the other hand, was very close to changing her name to Cher Horowitz because she found herself completely clueless. “Crystal,” Mr. Goode called for her attention. “You got anything for the circle?” 

“You’re in college, I’m sure you have something in there” Ethan, Gigi’s middle sibling, pressed by her silence when everyone was looking at her expectantly. 

“Uh, I don’t really know” Crystal replied, the embarrassment bubbling in her tummy. Crystal sat in thought. She could tell the time she threw up in Jan’s dorm shower from taking too many jell-o shots, just a few hours after they met. Or when her and Gigi were in the middle of doing… things at three in the morning, the fire alarm rang, forcing them to have an almost nude walk of shame out of the dorm, in front of everyone else leaving. Or the time she had to be taken to the ER for a nauseating migraine and a dangerous heart rate, then the EKG wasn’t working, forcing her to admit with her whole chest in front of her family she got her nipples pierced. In freshman year. After being threatened to get the scholarship revoked. It was the cherry on top for her to land in deep shit. 

“Oh wait! I think I do. This is not very appropriate and it’s kind of a long but... I guess it will do” Crystal fixed her posture and cleared her throat “So in freshman year, we had this ceramics professor, right? He also taught Basic Econ and did the ceramic class because it was his hobby, so let’s call him...” Her eyes searched around the room, her eyes landing on a framed Heathers poster “Mr. Duke. He was the most insufferable person ever. It was like he had a stick up his ass. And he walked like it too!” She came off strong, gaining the first few laughs “I could make him the fanciest chinese pottery vase and he would probably spit on it, curbstomp my cat, insult my whole family and ancestors, fail me the whole semester and make me do a fifty page essay just to give a quarter of the grade” Crystal loved that story, so the words, humorous tone just slipped out of her tongue easily, everyone was paying close attention and reacting correctly, encouraging her to keep talking “Everyone hated him because he hated us first for some reason. Turns out he was homophobic and I seriously have no idea what he was doing teaching in the arts division, we’re all at least a little bit gay there! So he has this son, his name is John, right? John Duke. So his parents went away for a weekend so he decided to throw a little party and that party wasn’t really meant for us art kids, but word travelled fast.” 

“Oh I remember that night! I left early, it was kinda boring” Gigi commented, being shushed by her brothers who were interested in the story. The character’s kid was someone she had a few encounters with. He was a pretty dumb kid that just skated by with passable grades and spent his time hungover. Like, all the time he was hungover. Maybe he wasn’t dumb, he was just hungover. The night for her was not as eventful, the only thing that caused an impression was when people from other classes arrived, but the fun didn’t last long. After that, she sat with her sorority sisters at the beach, so bored they started discussing upcoming activities and trivia questions like what was their favorite fish, and dumb things of the sort. 

“So I got there and everyone I’ve ever met at the time was there. In Mr. Duke’s Malibu mansion he bought with the money he made verbally assaulting students and rolling his eyes. First thing that happened when I arrived, most of us art kids and people that were not in a frat, varsity team or the guy’s economics class got casted down to their basement. This guy took a running start and dived right into the ping pong table, breaking it in half while some people from my class placed it as a makeshift Just Dance dance floor. Another guy found where Mr. Duke’s room was, did graffiti art on all the surfaces and printed documents from his computer for future blackmail purposes. That’s what got him fired” Crystal kept telling, gaining surprised gasps and expressions, some people even laughing out of shock. “So the party started down at the basement, or at least the hot part of it” She commented smugly, remembering what Gigi said, sending her girlfriend into a fluster when her brothers started pestering her on being on the boring side of the story. 

“Me, my friends and literally every other person present there were almost black out drunk and, excuse the term um, high as a biblical whore” Crystal remembered a little vividly, sighing like she just told the most inspirational speech on the planet, gaining more laughter “So someone comes in and shouts ‘something something POLICE’ and in an attempt of brilliant drunk word association, I shouted “FUCK THA POLICE” and everyone just joined in.” The more laughter she gained, she felt proud of herself for experiencing such a thing and having the confidence to tell it to practically strangers, and not any strangers, the family of her girlfriend. “So there was a crowd of mostly underage college kids drinking and shouting ‘fuck T-H-A police’, with the confidence of people who had already served time? _’I served my nickel you come take me!’_ Sort of confidence” Crystal said with a British accent, the people in the circle were close to crying of laughter “But the reason someone said “something something POLICE” is because the police were there!” She shrugged, sitting back and resting her back right on the chair. 

“The LAPD officer walked down the stairs and saw the sea of either rich or prodigy drunk children shouting fuck the police… in his face. All I’m thankful for was white solidarity, though, since some of the kids were not gone enough to protect other POCs that were there. So we were all very brave until he reached for his walkie talkie and asked for backup” Crystal said, giving an uncomfortable smile, giggling circling through “So um, my friend Jackie, one of the most professional, motherly and serious women I know, stopped drinking that bottle of expensive wine she grabbed from the cellar, smashed it on the floor and yelled ‘Scatter!’. It was like that scene in Ratatouille where the rats get discovered by the humans and they flee.” The references she threw made everything more understandable, thus more hilarious to the listeners “I squeezed myself out of a small window next to the washing machine and ran through the beach, trying to get away from the police. I looked down, saw this crab I won’t bother to describe because I was high like a kite but for a quick reference, it looked like it was dumped in radioactive waste and wondered ‘I've never seen a crab like this one before!’ and I woke up in dorm with my roommate laughing on my face” “I don’t think we need to listen to anyone else. Looks like we have winner” Mr. Goode announced, Gigi identifying a sense of pride in his face. Was he proud of her daughter’s girlfriend for telling that good of a story? Crystal opened her mouth and raised her finger to comment, a voice interrupting her almost instantly “We lied. This is totally a competition, we just didn’t want to scare you” 

“They’re gone?” Crystal whispered into the darkness, the tiny flame of her lighter breaking through, tip toeing her way to the main floor, towards the Christmas tree and towards the fireplace where Gigi stood. 

“Come through, Mrs. Scrooge!” Gigi laughed quietly from her spot, looking at Crystal in the cream and pink striped oversized pajama dress. Gigi herself wasn’t wearing a baby blue polka dot long sleeve pajama set, her hair picked up back in a ponytail. 

“Aw shut up! I always wear this for when I wake up on Christmas morning” She spoke before seating in front of her. “Why are we doing this at this time again?” _4 AM_ , the clock read on Gigi’s wrist. It was officially December 25th, upstairs the family resided sleeping, except for the pair. The soft sounds of Christmas classics filled the emptiness of the room, along with the momentary clicking of a set of nails on the hardwood floor, Nancy soon arriving at the scene, settling in the throw pillow on the couch closer to Crystal. 

“I thought it would be more intimate, just the two of us” She reached in, holding her hand in hers with her thumb drawing circles around the skin. Once again, under the dim light the Christmas tree light bulbs and the dying fireplace provided, hazel met green in a cherishing look. 

“You’re right” Crystal accepted, kissing her hand, just like on that one day at the park. 

“I’m always right” Gigi dared to respond with a smirk, looking at her adoringly. “Let’s get to open presents!” Both scrambled to identify from the pile which one was theirs, going back to face each other with three boxes in each of their hands. Crystal’s gifts stood out the most, the wrapping paper fitting more the aesthetic of what remained inside the confinement of the boxes. “Let’s leave the hugging and kissing for the end” 

“I’ll go first, I’m too anxious to wait,” Crystal said, passing her the first box, wrapped in a red tartan print paper with a gold ribbon. She waited expectantly for a reaction, Gigi taking her sweet time on opening the box. 

“Oh my god!” Gigi gasped, taking out the clothes with force. A set with a skirt and a long sleeved cropped top, made out of four different tartan fabrics. “You made this?! It’s so… gorgeous. It looks like the four Heathers had a child! You know I’m a slut for tartan” The top was loose, with safety pins holding together the light peplum bottom, the top already being held by the buttons Crystal reused from one of the original pieces. The skirt, however, had a tight high rise cut, but the length was a couple fingers shorter for an usual skirt. It was something you would see in a renowned catwalk. And it only cost Crystal less than a twenty dollar bill, between thread and thrifted fabrics. 

“Yeah, I made it with my own two hands. So hot, right?” Crystal winked, watching her examine the perfectly assembled garment. For being someone who only sews as a hobby, Crystal was very skilled in the craft. 

They continued with the gift exchange “This one is yours” Gigi went ahead and passed out the first small box. It was wrapped in a silver paper, a red bow with a small bell. Crystal, different to her, tore the paper open, still trying not to be too noisy. The sky outside sported colors of light and deep blue along with dark purple. 

“You’re kidding me!” She gasped, looking at the items inside. A paint bundle, which included a kit of five tubes of gouache and her favorite brand of watercolors in a twenty four color set “Where did you find these? They are so rare and expensive” She passed her hands through the surface of each packaging. Crystal wasn’t picky, whatever supply you threw her way, she made it work. But laying her hands on quality art supplies felt unreal. 

“I didn’t have that much of a hard time looking for them” Gigi dismissed her concerns, blatantly lying to her face. She hated to bother employees, but the emotions and tiredness had beat her out, making her almost cry at Michael's for an employee to check if they had the gouache set in the back, which at the end, they did. 

“I’m loving this already. My turn!” Crystal insisted, passing her another similar box with equal weight than the last one. This box had a funky 70s print with a red ribbon. She sat down with Jackie, Jaida and Jan to wrap gifts, like they did since freshman year. It was a calm, wholesome tradition between them; they supervised the other’s work, gave feedback and provided help if needed. 

“Bitch, I can’t! Where did you find the time to do these?” It was another set, a crotchet one, consisting of a bra-like top and long bell bottom pants. She spent the least time on the top but hours making the pants, trying to get every single detail correctly. 

“I haven’t slept properly since we got back from our mini vacation” She partly joked, even though it was true, but making clothes for her girlfriend was the last of her concerns when going to sleep on irregular hours, unfortunately. 

“I hope it’s your size, I had to figure it out myself” Gigi passed the lighter weight box, the screeching of paper getting torn open filling the house, drowning out the background music and the crisp sounds of the fire dying against wood. She pulled out the blue dress, observing it with awe. It looked like something her mom would wear for a party when she was young. It was colorful, the layered green, purple red, yellow, red, pink and white peplum shoulder detail reminded her a lot of her heritage, and the fabric was of excellent quality. 

“I— I don’t even know what to say. It’s so… wow” She touched the garment. The look in her eyes was so enchanting, Gigi didn’t even want to interrupt the moment. “My mom will definitely steal this. Last one!” She passed on the box, which was significantly more heavy. The wrapping paper was pink with little hearts on it. “I know you said you didn’t like docs that much but I saw these listed on _Depop,_ they were originally sold out on your size and I couldn’t resist” She observed her carefully take out the boots, the smile on Gigi’s face relaxing Crystal. 

“These are so cute! I love the heart theme and that they have platforms!” Gigi hummed, staring at the _Doc Martens x Lazy Oaf_ colab boots, which were a little more feminine than your classic Docs. “I never thought I would like these so much…” She smiled widely, looking at the shoes with devotion. 

“Now we can match… sort of” Crystal admitted, looking at her with a shine in her eyes. Gigi reached in for the last gift. 

“Before I give you my last present, this one is not from me exactly” She passed the small box carefully. Crystal’s eyes watered at the sight of her name written in shaky cursive on the envelope placed on top. “Open it” She insisted tenderly, watching Crystal reach in with trembling hands, being more careful this time when working the bow away from the sturdy item. She laughed bitterly, looking at the pair of earrings that looked anything but cheap, the golden snakes with emerald eyes that flowed down glew under the lack of lightning. 

“Where did you get this?” Crystal managed to speak in between tears, reading the pages inside the envelope. It was a gift from her family, it was just one from everyone but it meant every single little thing to their daughter now. 

“I contacted your parents to surprise you,” Gigi told, visibly proud of herself. Crystal pulled a face and stared at her in confusion. “I was absolutely terrified to call them. I thought I was going to either pass out or throw up, I even considered asking Dahlia to contact his dealer to get me a xanax. But I talked to your brother first so it went fine” 

“This is amazing, Geeg. I was a little estranged by the fact my mom didn’t mention sending me a package like I did for them” She swiped away the tears, her cheeks puffed up from the toothless smile she kept to herself. “I’ll call them when we wake up once again later” 

“Okay this is my last gift. I searched high and low for this one” By the shape of the product, it was obvious it was a vinyl. But it was hard finding a vinyl that Crystal didn’t already have in her large, infamous collection. 

She tore the paper away more delicately once more, not wanting to damage the product inside “Girl in red? Seriously?” Crystal tried to avoid laughing loudly to not wake up anyone in the house. She carefully popped out of the covers the girl in red _chapter one_ vinyl, looking at it with a nostalgic smile. 

“If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think we’ll be here right now” Gigi beamed as Crystal placed away the disk, throwing herself into her arms and into a warm kiss. 

“Thank you so much” Crystal smiled down at her, the gesture obviously contagious as Gigi smiled back almost immediately. 

“For what?” She couldn’t help but wonder, catching the tears welling up at the rim of Crystal’s eyes once more, her eyes starting to get glossy under the warm lights. 

“Everything. Just everything” She admitted, kissing her temple before they just sat up, holding each other. No words being spoken, just having each other was clearly enough. And just like Michael Bublé sang, it was Christmas once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> few things!  
> i’m going back to classes soon (thankfully it’s online, for the safety of everyone), so with the whole preparations, i’ve been very busy + my laptop broke down & i’ve got some personal issues to work with. 
> 
> there’s so much detail in this particular chapter, but john mulaney is one of the few men I trust so I had to include “the one thing i can’t replace” here. i 100% recommend any of his work. another thing is, it’s more of a fun fact but; i absolutely love the original painting of ‘liberty leads the people’. i just feel so drawn to it, it’s my favorite painting on the planet. 
> 
> next chapter is the last one! i’ll save my pretty words for then. last thing! i finally revamped my tumblr! it’s @sapphic-tomlinson in case anyone wants to chat abt drag race, this story or anything at all really, i’m nice i promise!


	12. something new

_“Everything. Just everything” She admitted, kissing her temple before they just sat up, holding each other. No words being spoken, just having each other was clearly enough. And just like Michael Bublé sang, it was Christmas once more._

“Hurry up!” Gigi called, the distant clicking of Crystal’s shoes echoing through the parking lot. The sole of Gigi’s strappy heel kept hitting the pavement rhythmically, to express her discontent with the time both her girlfriend and the valet parking was taking to fetch their car. She hated herself for having an attitude, but the sooner out of there, the better. 

It was New Year’s Eve, and instead of spending it at home, the Goodes (and Crystal) had reservations on the New Year’s celebration of a fancy, renowned restaurant. Gigi first opposed to the idea, wanting to spend a rather calm evening by the pool, but agreed to the plans when Mrs. Goode offered they could leave before midnight to spend some time by themselves. She understood how uneasy her daughter could feel in the crowded place at a loud event, so she just let her go live her life with her partner. She knew Crystal wouldn’t let anything happen to them. 

“Thank you so much, sir” Crystal said, hopping in the driver’s seat, analyzing the advanced technology in front of her eyes. “Let’s get out of here, m’lady” As soon as Gigi closed her door shut, she cranked up the bass, kicked off her heels and hit the gas pedal. 

Gigi breathed in the cold, salty air, her hair flowing beyond the confinements of the open window. The luxury car sped through the empty highway, the sound of waves crashing in the distance complemented Grouplove’s _Tongue Tied_ playing dimly on the radio. It was strange for anyone to leave a New Year’s celebration before midnight, but Gigi didn’t want to be there in the first place; her perfect idea of a celebrating the upcoming year was staying at home, dress fancy only for herself or whoever was joining her, watch their favorite movies from the past year and drink. Maybe go for a swim after a couple drinks. The party girl in her left as soon as she identified the crowded place. Passing onto a New Year required reflection and time for yourself, not sitting at a crowded restaurant or party. It felt anticlimactic for her, not for the commoner. Sometimes she didn’t like the way her brain was wired. But that was Gigi Goode for you. 

Crystal was thrilled behind the wheel, taking in the excitement from driving an almost brand new car and how smooth it went along the road. She kept taking small peaks at Gigi, who seemed to be gone in thought, savoring the moment. The silence that flooded the car came from a place of reflection and appreciation with each young woman in their head, reflecting about the year and what was next to come. They spent the day receiving New Years texts, the three hour difference on most time zones their friends were located made them be the last to really receive the new year officially. The streets were deserted, distant sounds of partying were the only indicators of the fact that they weren’t really alone in this world, but in that precise moment it was just the two of them. No one else were to disrupt the peace they were experiencing together. 

Once Crystal pulled over safely close to the water, not deep enough in the sand for the car to get stuck in it, Gigi was already urging for her to zip her dress down. Crystal did so gladly, the black and pink tiger striped mini dress soon laid at the passenger’s seat floor. Gigi fitted a pair of sandals, the cold sand not allowing her to walk barefoot. The night was cold, making the water somehow seem warmer in comparison. Red physiologically is the warmest color, but the blue ocean in front of them proved otherwise. 

“Move!” Gigi waved her girlfriend over , who raised up the volume of the music playing in the car so they could hear it from the water. 

“This is crazy,” Crystal admitted after taking off her jewelry and hiding it in the glove compartment just in case, slipping out of the Studio 54 inspired golden romper, leaving her also in just her underwear. “Jeez! The sand is cold!” She shivered, putting on her yellow crocs. Gigi laughed from afar, raising the disposable camera up for a picture of the hilarious sight that approached her. “Why are we here again?” 

“Because you love me” Gigi cooed, pulling her girlfriend inside the water, leaving their shoes with the camera and the car keys hidden inside them, or at least inside Crystal’s shoes. It was a little dangerous to just leave the car unopened and their belongings outside, not very close from their line of vision. So the only thing they could do is hope everyone was minding their own business that night, as they should. “And because I did not want to be in a crowded place when the clock hits midnight” 

“Can’t argue against that,” Crystal said, trying to get used to the temperature of the water. “How long until midnight?” They left the restaurant at eleven thirty, just after dessert and the champagne toast to a new year. Because of the bliss they were feeling while exiting the crowded streets, the last thing Crystal cared about was the time. Not that it mattered, it stopped whenever she was alone with her adored partner. 

“Fifteen minutes,” Gigi said, reciting the time she identified from the last time she checked her watch. A few minutes had already passed from that moment “Come in! Just dive in, you’ll get used to it quicker” She splashed Crystal with the water, making her yelp. 

“If something touches my foot, I am leaving!” Crystal breathed in and submerged her body up to her shoulders, the water reaching there as they were crouching down, not because they were in deep waters. Gigi threw herself into her arms, the scent of her perfume filling in Crystal’s nostrils with the evident saltiness of the ocean they were in. “I can’t believe the year is ending already,” Crystal admitted, brushing Gigi’s hair behind her shoulder, the water darkening her lighter tips. 

“I don’t remember me before you,” Gigi smiled, looking at her girlfriend under the pale moonlight, her arms wrapped around her neck. Crystal had her arms placed around her waist, like they were waltzing under the stars. _Freakin’ out on the interstate_ by Briston Maroney filled in the emptiness of the lack of people in the place. “You changed me, for good” 

“Aw don’t start!” Crystal complained, already feeling the tears sting. Even with the slight embarrassment, she never stopped staring into her eyes. “But guess I can say the same? uh, I felt a little lost before I met you. But it was like I didn’t even know I was!” They both laughed, taking in the moment. It was just the two of them, under water, the moonlight and the distant sound of the music was their only company. It was like a fairytale, a dream that showed up every single night in their minds. And each time they dreamed about it, they only hoped to see each other there and no one else. Gigi collected her thoughts, Crystal giving her the space to do so while they just swayed lightly to the distant sound of the music. 

Gigi sighed, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s bare shoulder “I was… I don’t know, I just feel like you bring out the best of me” She continued on with what she was stating previously “Everyday since I first met you I regret not meeting you before. You were just a block away but really, we were worlds apart. But I’m glad you admitted me into your life without hesitation. Everything you do is amazing, and do not allow anyone else to tell you otherwise. I’ll personally kick their asses” She laughed after hearing the quiet sniffles, facing her once more to reach in and clean the salty tears that fused with the salty body of water surrounding them. “You ease my mind, Crystal Elizabeth” _Fine line_ started to play “Aw babe, it’s our song” 

“We officially got a song now? We’re such a cliché” Crystal laughed, the tears ricocheting around them as laughter bubbled, like the water jets in a jacuzzi bringing excitement to the calm waters. “I felt like I’ve known you forever. And we’ve known each other for three months! How crazy is that?” She giggled, inciting a smile out of her girlfriend’s lips. “But uh, definitely you’ve made my year so much better. The first half was beyond bland. There’s nothing thrilling about sophomore year. And this summer sucked ass, but just as I came back I ran into you that day at the library. I’m so glad you approached me. And I’m so proud of myself for accepting. Hell, I’m fucking glad I just saw you that first day.” She admitted for the first time out loud, watching closely for a reaction. 

Gigi just chuckled to herself, trying to reorganize her thoughts once more “We still got a lot to do together, you know that Crystal Elizabeth?” Gigi brushed her hair aside, the wetness of the water in her hand damping the red curls. “But we’ll do it all together. Because bitch, you’re my soulmate” 

“We’re just getting started, soulmate” Crystal confirmed her statement, nodding. She took her hand in hers and kissed it, the gesture usual but nevertheless always a domestic interaction between them. “So let's just hold onto each other. Like always” 

“Like always” Gigi repeated, smiling widely. Crystal repeated the action. As the climax of the song approached, fireworks started going off in the sky startling them, someone in a nearby establishment must have lit them up. “Oh, it looks like it’s midnight. Where’s my kiss?” Gigi puckered up her bottom lip in a childish frown, looking at her lover with false resentment. Crystal just shook her head and drew her in closer, their lips touching each other almost instantly. The kiss exploded into everything they experienced with each other during the year that was now officially gone; happiness, anxiety, excitement, lust, just to name a few. They kissed under the moonlight and occasional bursts of color, until the air was almost completely cut off their lungs, their lips were swollen and makeup was ruined. 

“Happy New Year, pretty girl” Crystal sighed, breathing in heavily, looking at her girlfriend with a romanticized expression. Just having her by her side, made the upcoming year having endless but all positive possibilities. 

“Happy New Year, carebear” Gigi caressed her cheeks, none of them caring about the stupid makeup that had been melting away. The last thing on their minds was what the people at the restaurant would think when the two ladies arrive in damp clothes and hair, makeup removed with dazed smiles. The least of their concerns were anyone else in the world, because inside those waters, in that beach, they just had each other. Humanity could bother and it would feel the same. It was only them. 

Maybe it was going to be a good year. As long as they kept listening to _girl in red_ together while the days went by, it was going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the previous chapter was so long, so even though this is the finale, it had to be a little short. i wanted to just let this be the least packed of them all, just to savor in a bit of wholesomeness. 
> 
> as you might realize, this is only the first part of a two part series. they just started 2020 and we all know how much of a shit show this year has been. so i guess writing a bit about it and trying to release my frustrations with this whole situation is rather healthy. i will publish the first chapter of the second part this saturday at night! (in my time zone ofc) 
> 
> now onto a more serious note, i am very proud with the outcome of this fic, and more so when i realized people actually enjoyed reading this 3 am after thought. (i am not kidding when i say i made this up at 3 am. that’s just how i function). i was in a really dark place mentally when i started writing this, so this was my escape from reality that brought me much more joy that i could ever imagine. so from the bottom of my heart: thank you, thank you, thank you!!  
> stay hydrated, sane and healthy, wear a mask and wash your hands!! follow my tumblr if you fancy (@sapphic-tomlinson), i'll be posting some commentaries from each chapter, references, a moodboard maybe, all related to the fic/series. anyways, see ya! xx ~gee


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